


Snow Leopard (HD Re release)

by Hero_Shepherd



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, F/M, Tsunderes, Weiss Schnee is a Faunus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 07:30:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 21,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17741579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hero_Shepherd/pseuds/Hero_Shepherd
Summary: A story I started before I was caught up on RWBY.Weiss after being healed feels like something isn't right she rediscovers a part of her identity and with help from Jaune resonates with it.   This story deals with events that unfold as a result.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't number chapters Prologue.

**Prologue: Strange**

 

Her teammates were beaten and her dress was stained with her own blood. Still, Weiss Schnee couldn't be upset. They just won a hard-fought victory and she found herself surrounded by most of Blake's hometown

 

"What happened to you guys?" Blake asked as she was standing in front of a pair of Faunus,  probably her parents.  
  
Weiss responded with her best attempt at humor "You should see the other guys." Which earned her disappointed headshakes from the other former students of Beacon. “...what?”

 

Ruby spoke up with concern "You almost died, Weiss."   
  
"SHE WHAT!" Blake and her parents responded.   
  
Weiss took a deep breath "I'm fine, Jaune was able to heal me. It still it feels like something else should have happened. And it's weird, but I'm finding this crowd comforting for some reason."

 

Blake responded, “Maybe you need to rest.”

 

"Maybe I should, but not before introductions." Weiss incited "is this lovely couple your parents?"  
  
"Ohh right." Blake said, "this is my mother Kali and my father Ghira the chief of Menagerie.”   
  
Ruby silver eyes grew big and they seemed to start to sparkle. She made a gasp of joy before singing "You never said you were a princess." Which got a decent laugh out of the gathered crowd. Blake however just blushed and stammered.   
  
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you both," Weiss said with a curtsy. "We have a lot of catching up to do Blake,   
  
"I think she has a concussion..." Yang muttered from the back of the group which earned her Nora's elbow to the stomach.   


"In all honesty, I feel great. Jaune's healing powers are amazing." She looked around and thought to herself _why do I feel right at home? Maybe it's because the team is finally reunited?_

 

"Still, this was a hard fight and you lost a lot of blood," Ruby said.  
  
Ghira asked, "Who exactly is this?"   
  
"Oh, I forgot this is the rest of my team Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, and our team leader Ruby Rose."   
  


Kali squealed "This adorable little gumdrop is your leader?”

 

Ruby gave a big smile and nodded. "I was allowed to attend Beacon two years early. I would love to tell you about it but right now..."  
  
Ren added, "We just finished a brutal battle that we barely won."

 

Blake and her family all worried. Kali asked, " And are you all okay?"  
  
"Nothing permanent." Ruby said before glancing at her sister  "Nothing new anyway."   
  
The crowd started to part for the group of weary heroes. The seven teenagers, Oscar and Qrow started to walk off to where they were staying.   
  
"Who's the pipsqueak?" Blake asked.   
  
Weiss responded, "Oscar, he's kind of a long story."

 

Weiss took one more look back at the big crowd of Faunus. Something kept stirring in the back of her mind. A buzzing about something that she wanted, no she needed, telling her to reach for it, despite not knowing what it was. She didn't find the experience unpleasant, just confusing. The best she could do for a description of how she was feeling was somebody welcoming her home in a language she doesn't speak. She kept these concerns to herself, her friends already had a lot to deal with tonight.

 

“Your parents are nice,” Weiss said with a yawn.

 

Blake smiled. "Yes, they are. Maybe you should all visit Menagerie when you get the chance."  
  
The buzzing in the back of Weiss's mind became slightly louder. "That might be a good idea."   
  
That night Weiss slept restlessly as she dreamed about herself as a child, probably barely 4 years old. But something was different about her. She wasn't the reserved young lady she remembered being, she was playing in the snow. She got a good look at herself in her reflection in the ice on the frozen pond. Her outfit was simpler than any she remembered owning. She realized that there was no scar on her face. Most surprisingly, she had a long gray and white thick fuzzy spotted tail.

 

"Why do I have a tail?" She muttered in her sleep.  
  
The dream shifted and she was now slightly older and in the hospital. She felt cold,   
for some reason. She looked down, the tail she had in the last dream was gone “Why don’t I have a tail this time?” she asked herself. She could hear her parents arguing outside.   
  
"This was sick Jacques. I can't believe you actually did that to her!" She heard her mother yell.   
  
"I had to,"  her father bellowed "I should've done it a long time ago. She was one of those freaks."   
  
"She's still one of them, even if you got rid of the evidence." Her mother retorted coldly.   
  
Weiss woke up sitting straight up and she gasped a few times.

 

Over the next few days, it became clear that the buzzing had to do with part of her identity. But it remained just out of reach. Every time she looked into the mirror she felt like it wasn't really her looking back. Then one day, she heard Ozpin explain the gift of knowledge.   
  
"So it could answer any question we have?" Weiss asked, "even about ourselves?"   
  
Unfortunately his response, which was still bizarre hearing this little kid speak with Ozpin's voice, was, "It can only answer three questions every 100 years."   
  
"That's pretty steep just for knowledge." She answered. She was puzzled by the thought _probably for the best, there are more important things to worry about than my identity crisis._

 

“Are you alright?” Blake asked.

 

Weiss lied “Never better.”

 

One night, when Weiss couldn’t sleep, she was up looking at her scroll. She kept finding herself drawn to Faunus related sites. She had to make sure the safe such was turned up to the maximum, not that that skunk tailed girl wasn't cute.

 

“The white fang homepage.” She whispered to herself before sneezing causing her to click the link by mistake. Her eyes widened before she saw what she was looking at. The website was a relic. Nobody had updated it in years. It still talked about upcoming group picnics and ping pong tournaments that happened even before she came to Beacon. “Our new leader ” was scrolled above a beautiful tiger faunus in hot pink Comic Sans and followed by some emoticons.

 

The pictures of the members and families all where unmasked with huge goofy genuine grins. She saw a couple of fox twins sharing their family recipe for chicken pot pie. A huge panther’s book recommendations. Everyone looked so normal and happy, even Adam Taurus was smiling in the picture he was in but he was the only one in a mask. Weiss couldn't help but laugh out loud. “Hmm... I wonder if Blake is on here.”

 

She was on the sight alright. She won a Karaoke contest with “These boots are made for Walking.”  Weiss clicked the “more Blake” link, and was greeted with recruitment pinups.”No way.” Weiss giggled as she looked at her friend posed seductively in a black bikini, thigh high boots and a white fang mask with a banner reading “The White Fang needs you.” overhead.

 

Then there was the train to Argus. To keep the civilians safe they had separated the back of the train so they could fight the Grimm. They won, but the train was derailed and lay broken in the snow.  


The team, Qrow, Oscar, and an old lady were standing out in the cold. In the center of the gathering was a massive blue woman, Jinn, the gift of knowledge. Ozpin had lied, that seemed to be a common occurrence lately, as she still had one more question to answer after the one Ruby had asked. But Weiss was not even daring to speak at all. Could she blow it on something that was probably simple in the grand scheme of things, even if it was driving her up the wall?  
  
"It's okay Weiss." The genie spoke up. "You're not the first one to worry about wasting one of my answers." The other teenagers looked at her, Ruby looked like she was about to say something but Jinn cut her off. "I know all the questions anyone even thought about having me answer. Weiss, it's far from the worst but I think we both know you don't really need to ask it. Yes, Blake, I could cheat the rules like this. But I'm not going to. I try to only cheat with questions I raise. Ohh, Yang, I would love to tell you some good ones but you all will be frozen solid before we even get halfway thigh with Nora. "

  
After they reached Atlas Weiss almost had it, the answer was just barely out of reach. She was too tired to keep dwelling on it so she just collapsed into the bed. Only to shoot right back up. “I’m a Faunus!” The words and the truth behind them where simultaneously strange and comforting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place from the end of part 5 through 6 and into 7 hoping Weiss sleeps at some point in 7.


	2. the nightmare

“You will never be one of us.” Blake hissed. 

 

Weiss looked around, it was as if she was in a dark void. She was standing on nothing in nothing. Just her and a furious friend. “I’m your teammate.” 

 

“No, you stuck up ice-hearted witch!” Velvet appeared out of the inky fog and shoved her. “You think you can be a faunus?” 

Weiss looked confused the two others looked like they wanted to rip Weisse's head right off her body. She kept taking steps back from her friends, as she did so Blake drew her weapons. 

 

A voice from behind her shouted. “Just be one of us after everything your family has done?” Weiss turned around and it was Sun weapon drawn. He swung at Weiss who ducked out of the way.

 

Weiss started to run. The fog dispersed, and in its place was an ancient cobblestone path that led through a ghastly old forest. Her high heels clicked frankly as she scurried from the three pursuers. She rounded a sharp corner and fell over. She felt a cold clammy hand grab tightly onto her ankle, and looked to see Leonardo laying onto the ground looking at her with dead eyes.

 

He said as if he was ghoul “Why would you want to be one of us anyway? We are all cowards.”

 

Tyrian dove out of the sky striking his hand blades into the ground missing her neck by a hair on either side. “Or monsters!” he said laughing. As he was preparing for another strike Weiss kicked the hand loose and started running.  A huge man with sideburns burst out from the trees he roared like a wildcat and scratched her with his sharp claws extended. She remembered him from the white fang website his name was Tukson. 

 

Weiss didn’t see that she ran straight into an old cast iron gate. It was pitch black, spiky, and much too tall to get over. She looked for a way to open it but it was padlocked from the inside. She took deep breaths. The other Faunus where closing in.  Weiss pulled out her sword but she saw Illia was on the other side.

 

“Looks like you want in,” Illia said smugly. 

 

“Yes help me they are going to kill me,” Weiss begged.

 

“A Schee begging me…” Illia smiled. “I would keep you out but...I think you need to see what’s in here.” She unlocked the gate. As she walked off she said, “it’s not  going to keep them for long so enjoy this place while you can.” 

 

Weiss scurried behind the gate closing it behind her. Then she looked around she was in a vast cemetery. Old forgotten gravestones as far as the eye could see. It was dim and gloomy. Illia was standing between two of them she could make out the name “Amitola” written on them.

 

“Welcome to the Schnee dust company cemetery” Illia chucked “The final resting place for all the Faunus that met grizzly ends in the mines that your family runs.”

 

Weiss felt like she had ice water in her veins. She was in a cold sweat she was gasping for air, her heart was pounding.

 

“How could somebody with this much blood on their hands be a Faunus?” Blake yelled.

 

“I will make up for it,” Weiss called back as she ran.

 

“That won't bring them back!” Illia yelled drawing her weapon. 

 

As Weiss started to make for the other open exit she started to hear a chainsaw rev up. The huge Faunus she fought on the train. “You're staying right here, resting in pieces.”

 

He lunged forward, Weiss dogged to the left and danced around him. She ran out of the cemetery and somehow straight into a place she recognized from the white fang website. Sienna Khan’s throne room. It was dark except for the throne, Sienna was sitting proudly on it. Fennec and Cordac where on either side of it. “There is only one way for you to walk among us Schnee,” Sienna commanded and a spotlight came on showing a small pedestal. On it was a White Fang mask.

 

“You must join us,” Sienna commanded.

 

“The White Fang is disbanded,” Weiss said her voice quivering.

 

Sienna chucked and asked“Are they?” rhetorically. More lights came on, revealing every Faunus besides Taurus she’s ever seen and also Neapolitan, for some reason. They were all in white fang masks. They were all staring at her, not moving at all. Even behind the mask, she felt disgusted and anger coming from her friends.

 

Weiss walked up to the mask. Her heart fell out of her chest.

 

“You must put on the mask and become the new Champion of the White Fang,” Sienna said and as she did the floor opened up right behind Weiss she barely stopped herself from falling in.  Weiss looked down and saw Taurus in the bottom of the pit. He looked savage as he stared up at her bellowing and betting his chest. The startling noise caused her to fall down mask in hand. Somehow as she landed it logged itself on her face. She tried to tug it off but it was stuck there.

 

“Only one of you leaves alive!” She heard Sienna call down. Weiss couldn’t even get up before Taurus charged at her, slashing his chokutō. She scrambled backward lifting Myrtenaster to defend herself. He made a jumping attack and Weiss brought her blade up causing it to go through his heart. She stood up in shock pulling her sword from his body.  

 

She was suddenly out in front of her mansion. Reporters swarming her. The mask was still stuck to her face she pulled at it but it wouldn't budge. 

 

“Miss Schee? How does it feel destroying your family business?” One asked

 

“What?” was the only response she could form.

 

“How much longer until you file for bankruptcy?” Another asked.

 

“What?” She asked again.

 

“Miss Schee, regrowing your tail has caused your family to scatter, put you in financial ruin and undermined Human/Faunus relationships, do you regret it?

 

“I don’t know!” Weiss answered. 

 

She saw Ruby, Yang, Jaune, Nora and Ren storm out of the front door. They looked like they couldn't stand her as they stomped off.

 

“Ruby?” Weiss asked.

 

“We never want to see you again.” Ruby sneered.  She then took Myrtenaster from Weisse’s hands “And you don’t deserve this anymore.” She continued walking off.  Weiss tried to call out to her but all of her teeth lunched out of her mouth, leaving Weiss alone.

 

Alone. 

 

Alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This nightmare started as a way to give the deceased Faunus a way to be in the story. Then we got Tock, and Taurus actually died.


	3. A new tail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Orginal chapter one of my fic.

Weiss anxiously paced around. She had to talk to a Jaune in secret. "I hope he doesn't think this is supposed to be romantic." She sighed to herself waiting for him. Soon she saw Jaune Arc approach.    
  
"Hey, Weiss." He didn't look her in the eye, and he fidgeted as he spoke to her. Clearly, he didn't think it was romantic, but he was keeping the possibility open.   
  
"I need you to heal me, Jaune."   
  
"Did something happen?." He practically launched forward checking out for any hidden injury. “It doesn’t look like anything is wrong.”   
  
"It's an old wound." She admitted   
  
"You want me to heal your scar?" The concern in his voice was almost tangible.   
  
"Yes but not this one." She said pointing at her face "I have been keeping a big secret, one that everyone needs to know. My teammates are all coming to tomorrow night's party."   
  
"That's great. But I don't get with that has to do..." Jaune  was interrupted   
  
" I'm trying to get this done without spoiling the surprise, including to you if that's even possible."   
  
"I don't understand but I'll try my best."    
  
He started to use his healing powers and Weiss started to glow. She winced slightly as a tail not only grew back but was also stuck beneath her skirt.

 

“Are you okay?” asked Jaune, “If I’m hurting you, I can stop.”

 

“It’s okay Jaune,” she replied, “it just feels a little odd to… regain feeling from an old wound.”

 

“If you’re sure then I’ll keep going.” Finally, she smiled when the white glow of her aura dissipated. The scar was still there "it worked." She said trying to hold back the mischievous giggle leaving Jaune absolutely perplexed as she walked off. "You're not going to want to miss this."   
  
The party was off to a good start. But ground to a halt when the other members of team RWBY came to the door.    
  
"What is that doing here!" Jacques bellowed out as he pointed at Blake.   
  
"I was invited!" Snarled Blake.   
  
"Nobody would come to the party and invite one of you."   
  
"I guess that makes me nobody father." Weiss said joining her team members "this is my team Ruby, Yang, and Blake.  Good friends of mine."   
  
"Beacon must've been a worse Academy than I thought,"  Jacques grumbled. "Faunus are..." he continued but he was interrupted by Weiss.   
  
"People just like the rest of us, Blake is a good friend of mine and Princess of Menagerie.  You work them to the bone in the mines all for more profit? What do we need all this money for? "   
  
Blake interrupted "I don't know if Princess is the right word."   
  
All eyes turned to Wiess as she continued "Faunus and humans are not that different. But you know that father!"  there was venom in her voice.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  Jacques retorted.   
  
"I think you do," Weiss said like she was about to play her trump card.   
  
All eyes grew wide as saucers as something began to move underneath Weiss's dress. White fur started to poke out the small slit and in just a moment a long bushy tail was jutting out of the dress "you know exactly what I'm talking about."   
  
"HOW DO YOU HAVE THAT!" Jacques looked like he was about to attack his daughter in front of everybody.   
  
"A friend of mine did me a favor. He was able to regrow it for me." Weiss took a step forward "I definitely didn't get this from Mother. You deny your heritage, you mutilated yourself to pretend to be human and you cut off my tail when I was just a child. And you've been  treating our people as a disposable resource!" She finished the statement with a primal growl which erased any lingering thought that this might be a hoax.   
  
To everyone's surprise including Jaque himself he growled back. "I'm doing what's best for this family."   
  
"You did what's best for yourself," Weiss responded.    
  
"You little brat I should have..."  Before Jacques could finish what he was going to say he had a yellow prosthetic arm in his face and he was out cold.   
  
Weiss just looked nervously at the rest of her teammates and squeaked out "umm... Surprise."   
  
Ruby was standing there with her mouth agape. Yang offered her friend a warm smile. Blake scrounged for what to say but all she could think of was "Welcome to the club."   
  
"What's everyone just standing around for? This is the party after all." Weiss joked. And the party continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was chapter one once. At the time I didn't actually see Jaune's semblance. This story was going to be a one-off and now it's my longest fic.


	4. The arrival of JNR + V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party continues as Jaune, Ren Nora and her date finally make it.

"Nora we are already late," Ren said to his best friend.   
  
"It's not my fault, Velvet is the one dragging her heels."    
  
Nora might've been an odd match for her older girlfriend but the two were really cute together. The rabbit girl was re-adjusting the top hat that she hoped would hide her ears.   
  
"Crikey mate. You expect me to walk right into Schnee manner? Mr. Schee is such a Faunus hatter I'll wind up on the Barbie."   
  
"You'll be fine." Jaune chimed in "Blake's in there."   
  
"Also looks like you don't have to worry about him, " Ren said pointing to a mustached gentleman being shoved into the back of a police cruiser.   
  
"Crikey!" Both girls said at once before running up to get a better look. The two boys followed close behind.   
  
But before they could start snooping on the scene before them they were greeted by Weiss "Velvet what a pleasant surprise. Nora, Ren. Thanks again Jaune, too bad you missed the big reveal. What you did for me last night went better than expected.   
  
The three team members exchanged glances their friend seemed different somehow.   
  
"I always said it's not a party until somebody  gets arrested." Nora said pointing at the car pulling out "didn't expect it to be your father though."   
  
"Don't worry about it, he can use the time to cool off," Weiss replied.    
  
Ruby stepped out and joined her friends at the front door. "Hey Velvet long time no see, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"   
  
"She's my +1, " Nora said putting an arm around the bunny girl.   
  
Weiss offered a smile "That's wonderful but please get rid of the hat." Velvet obeyed her host. She was still nervous but she allowed Nora to lead her in.   
  
Inside the four new guests were gathered around the refreshments, trying to figure out what was different about Weiss.   
  
Jaune remarked, "she seems much more confident."   
  
Ren nodded and added, "more at peace with herself."   
  
"Happier!" Noria cheered.   
  
Jaune continued "Whatever she asked me to do last night it really seemed to help."   
  
"Still something seems funny about her." Velvet added. "Maybe I'm just not used to seeing her smile."   
  
[Over with  Team RWBY]   
  
The girls were amusing themselves with how confused their friends were in seeing the change in Weiss.   
  
"They still haven't noticed," Ruby said playfully.    
  
"Do we tell them?" Blake asked.   
  
"Calm down you two, how often do people suddenly have tails?" Yang added.   
  
"That's correct." Weiss said smiling "It remained hidden underneath my dress as it re-grew and not the sort people expect to get back." She looked back to the other group. "I'm going to refill our drinks and give them one more chance to figure it out for themselves.”   
  
Weiss walked to the other group, a sly smile on her face as she locked eyes with the other Faunus. As she walked over Velvet started to get a little nervous.   
  
"Man it feels like I’m staring down a predator all of a sudden." Velvet commented as the white-haired girl approached.   
  
"My apologies," Weiss responded "I've undergone a transformation very recently. Perhaps we all need to get more used to the new me."    
  
"Yaa mate you, seem more confident, more driven, and at the same time more cheerful. More, more...." Velvet's eyes grew wide as saucers and as Weiss turned to talk with Jaune "Faunus !"    
  
The smile on Weisse's face grew even more playful and she played dumb "what do you mean?"   
  
"You have a tail!" Velvet responded.   
  
"Don't be silly honey bunny she can't possibly have a..." Noria looked down and looked pale. "Tail? Crikey!"   
  
Ren smelled his drink. "What is in this punch?"   
  
"Jaune regrew it." Weiss confessed, "I don't want to bring the party down let's talk later."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I misremembered Velvet as Asturian and I don't like having my charters curse so expect a few people saying crikey.


	5. A Sleepover with spirits.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party winds down, the teams decide to spend the night, Coco drops in briefly, Pyrrha even shows up.

Most of the guests had left, but Ruby and the other former students decided to stay a while longer. They were all gathered up in Weiss's bedroom. Ruby and Yang were on the large bed, Jaune, Ren, and Nora were sharing the couch with Velvet on her girlfriend's lap. Weiss and Blake however where sharing the cardboard box Ruby found somewhere and brought in as a joke. It might've been a joke but the two of them then looked pretty cozy.  
  
Weiss let out a quick chuckle "this does feel really nice."  
  
"Suppressing your instincts mate." Velvet spoke up "trying to hide them make them really hard to ignore. Every time I tried to cover my ears wanted to go home and dig a hole as soon as I could."   
  
"You're making that up,"  Weiss responded with a smile.   
  
"Well, one way to find out," Yang said with a big smile on her face as she pulled out a familiar device.   
  
"No don't, you can't do that to her!" Ruby said looking at the laser pointer.  
  
Despite her sister's protest, Yang turned on the light and pointed it at the floor beneath Weiss. Her snow leopard tail perked up and she started watching it intensely getting ready to strike. Blake, however, was less interested or at least doing a good job of covering it. The heiress’s tail started to twitch and she jumped out of the box.  
  
"Okay, you made your point," Weiss remarked with a bit more force than she intended.   
  
"You're just lucky I don't walk around with a ball of yarn." The blonde girl laughed before turning off the laser pointer.  
  
Ren spoke up for the first time in a while "what I don't understand is if Jaune's power is strong enough to regrow her tail how come she still has a scar? And why is Yang still..." He had trouble finding the right way to say it.  
  
"Suddenly left-handed." Yang supplied.   
  
Everyone pondered that for a moment Nora and Velvet each fiddled with one of Velvet's bunny years. Yang studied her prosthetic again and Weiss stroked her tail. Ruby was the one who spoke up first "I think it has to do with emotional healing. Yang had to do a lot of soul-searching after she lost her arm and she came out stronger."  
  
Weiss added "I looked at and accepted the scar on my face every day of my life. Meanwhile, I suppressed the memory of my tail and forgot it was missing until I was standing there with a good portion of Menagerie after the battle for Haven. Something in the back of my mind kept going this feels right. It hit me one night as I went to bed."   
  
Jaune asked, "so what happened to it?"  
  
Weiss stood right up and marched to him before answering the memory lit a fire in her "My father."  
  
Ruby's and Yang's mouths hung open. Blake's cat ears were pressed back against her head, Nora accidentally launched Velvet and Ren responded with a disbelieving "what?"   
  
After Velvet landed, Weiss continued. "The memories are still hazy, but I remember it was when I was really young and he just suddenly charged into my room. Soon after that, I remember a doctor I didn't recognize. My best guess is something triggered him to suddenly get sick of me liking it."  
  
After a moment of silence, Weiss felt an unusual sensation she looked back to see Ruby in an unusual position "are you petting my tail?"   
  
"Trying to break the tension" she responded with a sheepish smile.  
  
Wiess, opened her mouth but received a pillow to the face instead "I think I know a better way!" Noria called out.  
  
"Ohh you did not just throw a pillow at me!" Weiss called back.  
  
The eight teenagers took battle stances, each with a pillow in hand. "One moment," Ruby said and she ejected her sister’s prosthetic. "Don't want people to get hurt." And placed it in the farthest corner.   
  
"No mercy mate." Velvet said as she walked Weiss.  
  
After a few minutes of pillows flying everywhere,  team RWBY victorious, the eight teenagers were laughing in a pile. They heard a new voice say "is it too late for me to  crash this party?" Coco Adel was standing in the doorway, besides her weapon she had another large bag on her other shoulder "And I brought party favors. "  
  
"You mean alcohol?" Ruby asked rhetorically "I think I'll pass."  
  
"Agreed." Weiss started to say but she was cut off.  
  
"It not every day somebody is suddenly a Faunus." Coco smiled "I have something special for you, Weiss." And she pulled a green bottle out of the bag.   
  
Blake's  ears started to perk up "is that what I think is?"  
  
"Catnip Sake straight from Menagerie," Coco confirmed.   
  
Weiss looked to Blake, her friend seemed very interested in the bottle. "Okay, I'll give it a try."   
  
Coco produced a few glasses and a few more drinks including some brandy, wine, and mead. "Excellent." Coco began to pour out a glass for Weiss and handed it to her.   
  
Weiss looked at it suspiciously for a moment and gave it an inquisitive smell. It didn't smell too bad. She took a sip, enjoyed it, and slowly drank down the whole thing. It wasn't long before the whole group at least had a taste of something. Ruby and Jaune turned up their noses at any of the available options so Coco gave the lemon-lime soda. Ren was the only human that wanted to try the sake along with Blake and Velvet. Yang took a swig of the brandy. Nora seemed to really take to the mead.  
  
"Too bad Pyrrha couldn't be here." Yang mused.  Which prompted the other people there to hold up their glasses and say "To Pyrrha." Before taking another gulp.  
  
"Maybe she can be," Weiss exclaimed.  
  
"This must be some strong sake." Blake laughed.   
  
Weiss said, "No, I'm serious maybe she can be."  
  
"Are you feeling alright?" Ruby looked at Weiss.   
  
"I'm feeling great," Weiss said before running to her closet. She rummaged through it and came out with what looked like a board game at first. She rejoined the group and presented it to the rest of them.  
  
"A spirit board?" Yang said looking out what was in her friend's hands "things are either scam or are nothing but trouble."   
  
"People shouldn't mess with the afterlife and alcohol on the same night," Coco added  
  
"I can't believe you have one of those." Retorted Blake.  
  
"I was _very_ lonely before I went to Beacon," Weiss admitted looking somber for a moment. Regardless, she opened the box and set up the board and pointer.  
  
"Crikey she's serious!" Velvet exclaimed.   
  
"I'm going to give it a try." Jaune sat down next to Weiss. Soon they were joined by Nora followed by Ruby, Ren, and Blake. After a moment Yang joined them. Velvet and Coco remained standing back but not far enough away so they couldn't see it.  
  
Weiss closed her eyes and put her hands on the pointer "Pyrrha Nikos, your friends would like to call you from the great beyond?  Pyrrha Nikos, are you with us here tonight?" And the other 6 put their hands on the pointer.   
  
It began to move. "H-E-L-L-O A-G-A-I-N" it spelled out.  
  
"It's her," Nora said with a small smile on her face and a tear in her eye.  
  
"I-M-S-O-R-R-Y" the board then spelled out.   
  
"I'm not buying it," Yang said removing her hand prompting everybody to disengage and look at her.  
  
Before anybody got the chance to reprimand her they heard "Crikey." Coming from Ren followed by "Great now I'm doing it.”  His eyes were glued on the board and the rest of the group saw that the pointer was still moving on its own, as nobody was touching it. "J-A-U-N-E"  it spelled out.  
  
"You don't have to apologize to me."  the blonde boy replied. "You did what was right."  
  
It went to the no before spelling out "I-M-I-S-S-Y-O-U"  
  
"Jaune is your only regret?" Nora asked.  
  
The pointer went over to the yes.   
  
"I was a fool," Jaune replied. "I could've had the most amazing girl at school and I was pining over an ice queen."  
  
"I'm sitting right here," Weiss responded.  
  
"N-I-C-E-T-A-I-L" the pointer spelled out.  
  
"Thank you." Weiss smiled as she said it.  
  
"R-U-B-Y" the board spelled out.  
  
"Yes, what is it Pyrrha?" The silver eyed girl responded.  
  
"Y-O-U-R-E-M-O-M-S-A-Y-S-H-E-L-L-O"   
  
Ruby covered her mouth with her hands. "Hello mom," She called out. "Couldn't she say that herself?"    
  
"I guess things really can only summon one spirit per day," Wess responded.  
  
"I-M-S-O-R-R-Y" the board spelled.  
  
"You don't have to be sorry we all got to hear from you again," Ruby responded  
  
"Anything else Pyrrha?" Weiss said.  
  
"I-M-P-R-O-U-D-O-F-A-L-L-O-F-Y-O-U"  
  
"Thank you." The whole group said.  
  
"I-H-A-V-E-T-O-G-O-N-O-W"   
  
"We understand," Weiss said.  
  
"Give mom a big hug for me," Ruby added.   
  
The pointer moved to "yes" and then to "goodbye."  
  
"Are you okay in there?" Klein called in.  
  
"We're all fine," Weiss said fighting back tears. "I think everyone is staying the night. Could you bring in some extra blankets and pillows?"  
  
"But there are two boys in there."  
  
"It's alright Klein," Weiss answered.

 

  
After the blankets were brought in Weiss and Blake settled back into the box. Ruby and Yang shared the bed. Nora laid out on the couch with Velvet on top of her. Coco sprawled out on a chair. Ren got into a corner and Jaune made a nest next to the board. Soon enough everyone was fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't condone underage drinking or sprite boards.
> 
> This work is built on me not understanding Jaune's semblance so I try to explain how it works in this time line.


	6. New day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now let's join Weiss as she faces how the world reacts to her actions last night.

"You two cats are looking pretty intimate in that box." The teasing voice started to raise Weiss from her slumber. She thought it came from Nora but wasn't completely sure.  Slowly she opened her eyes and was confused at first to see pools of the yellow looking back at her. When she was a little more awake she realized that she was indeed very intimate looking with her teammate Blake, Weiss's left hand was in her right, her other hand was stroking her cat ear and Blake's was on her tail.   
  
"Why are we in a box?" Weiss muttered.   
  
"Ruby thought would be funny." Blake answered "do you remember? Or did you have too much sake last night?"   
  
"I remember, I'm just not sure I want to believe," Weiss responded she looked to re-verify that her new extra feature was still there. "I have a tail, good that's the same."    
  
"And your father got thrown in the slammer for trying to attack you," Nora spoke up from the couch. Then they started to hear kissing noises. "Good morning honey bunny."   
  
"Morning already."  there was a pause before "Crikey. Must've had more drinks than I thought. My head is killing me."   
  
"Jaune you with us?" Weiss asked the lump in the center of the room.   
  
"Weiss get out of my sexy dream," Jaune responded still half asleep.    
  
"My how times have changed," Weiss said with a playful smile "Who is welcome in your sexy dream?"   
  
"Pyrrha." He answered before falling back asleep.   
  
Weiss's response was interrupted by Ruby saying "Looks like Yang and Coco are missing in action." The heiress got up and looked around, sure enough, the two of them were nowhere to be found. Ren and Jaune were still sleeping or trying to, as the girls were all starting to awaken.   
  
"What happened to Yang?" Blake said as he rose from the box. Still holding hands with Weiss. "More importantly are baby bunnies in our future?" She teased the couple on the couch.   
  
"As much as I love Nora I don't think anybody's ready for her offspring" Velvet responded.   
  
"Nora pregnant!" Ren woke up with a jump.   
  
"Relax Ren I might have failed health class but I'm pretty sure girls don't work that way." Ruby giggled.

  
Without warning, Klein burst in the room panting "Miss Schnee, sorry to bother you, especially when you might be hungover, but you need to get downstairs and see the news immediately."   
  
"Calm down Klein." Weiss responded, "what's the matter?"   
  
"You're going to need to see this for yourself, actually this might concern Miss Belladonna as well, she is the Princess of Menagerie."   
  
"Effectively but that is not my title," Blake responded.   
  
"No time to argue just get downstairs." Klein urged the two.   
  
"Okay, Blake let's go check this out," Weiss said as she made her way Blake soon followed her.    
  
"Right, we will make breakfast," Nora said as she and Velvet went out the door.   
  
"I guess that puts me and Ren on finding Yang duty,"  Ruby added picking up her sister’s discarded prosthetic.   
  
Downstairs Weiss had a hard time believing what she was hearing on the news "after Weiss Schnee revealed at a party held at the Schnee family manor that she and her father Jaques Schnee were both Faunus, many of the workers of the Schnee Dust Company have gone on strike. Due to several nuances with the law, only a successor that is a known faunus may take his place right now. Weiss Schnee will be forced to take over during these troubling times for her family and company we wish her the best of luck. Jacques’ other children will have to go under strict examinations to see if they too have amputated animal characteristics like Weiss did before she found a way to regrow her tail. We just received reports that several Faunus protesters are making their way to Schnee manner as we speak."   
  
"Crikey!" Weiss muttered and she could swear she heard an aggravated groan in the distance.   
  
"Couldn't have said it any better myself,"  Blake responded.    
  
"Klein, let them know I intend to see them but, not before breakfast," Weiss ordered.    
  
"Of course Miss Schnee," He said before leaving the room to get out front.   
  
"Probably going to see Ilia." Weiss sighed.    
  
After a plate of Nora's special cinnamon bun pancakes, a lot of tea and some ham, she was hungry, Weiss and Blake marched down to the front courtyard and saw Ilia and a few others angrily shouting from behind the gate.   
  
"Wow, it's true." Ilia remarked as they walked out "She really does have a tail now."   
  
"What is she?" A younger boy with dog ears asked.   
  
"I think a snow leopard." Ilia answered "seems pretty fitting to me."   
  
"Kept us waiting long enough." A girl with antlers said. There were at least five more in the crowd but they didn't seem to have anything in particular to say.   
  
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Weiss addressed the group "I can understand that you're all upset."   
  
Ilia responded to her "we all lost family in the mines. Thanks to your father. I'm disgusted to find out he's one of us."   
  
"I think it's safe to say he's not really one of us." Weiss responded, "I don't think we are that different in this regard, we're all scared and confused faunus that in some way were hurt by my father and the company he was running." She pointed to her scar.   
  
"So your father cut it off?" Ilia asked rhetorically "that's not right."   
  
"How did you regrow it?" Somebody else asked.   
  
"A very good friend regrew it for me with his semblance," Weiss answered. "And I'm not sure where to begin but I will do my best to help make up for the damages caused. I'll get better wages and safer conditions for everyone under my employ."   
  
"We want something else." The girl with antlers spoke up. "We want to hear him say it."   
  
"Say that he his a faunus?" Weiss answered, "that might be difficult."   
  
"You talk a good PR, but we want more than just talk," Ilia spoke up again.   
  
"Ilia you trust me don't you?" Blake said "and I trust Weiss to try to make things right. But she's not magic."   
  
"Well I guess you're right,” Illia said. “Good luck.   
  
"I have a feeling I'm about to need all the help I can get thank you." Weiss smiled and said. "Thank you for coming out here. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to start trying to give you all that you want." The crowd dispersed.

  
Yang and Coco turned out to be in the hall closet. How they got there is anybody's guess, but they weren't exactly completely decent when they tumbled out. Fortunately there discarded tops were in there with them.   
  
"You two went off to make out?" Wess asked. "and then passed out?"   
  
"I don't think so, we're not compatible girlfriends were too stubborn individually," Coco answered.   
  
"I'm pretty sure we were just comparing," Yang responded with a chuckle.   
  
The two girls laughed and started to fumble into their shirts.   
  
  
Weiss took a break from her friends to go over business reports and personal files that were now technically in her name. What she found sent shivers down her spine and through her tail. "This can't be..."   
  
Blake just happened to come in with a fresh cup of tea. "What's wrong?"   
  
"He was just days away from buying the entire continent of Menagerie," Weiss responded with dread.    
  
"That can't be right..." Blake head over to see "He would need an insane amount of money. And he has five times what he needs."   
  
"And that's just one of his accounts. I don't think we want to know why he has this much extra."  Weiss felt like her stomach was freezing. She took her tea and downed it.   
  
"We should tell the others,"  Blake said. "This is big."   
  
"and bad," Weiss said as she rose up. "I need air."    
  
In the back courtyard, Weiss was gathered around her team, JNR, and Velvet, Coco however left. She reported her findings to the rest of them Nora was looking a Velvet as if the answers to the universe were somehow in her eyes. Yang was attempting to punch down a statue of Jacques. Ren was drinking another cup of tea. Jaune and Ruby just sat down in disbelief.

  
"Your father was trying to buy Menagerie," Ruby said again trying to force herself to not believe it. "Why?"   
  
"To kick us out of it I'd wager," Velvet responded.  

 

"Let's not go jumping to conclusions, though it is the most likely scenario," Weiss answered.   
  
"Why does it need so much extra?" Nora spoke up.   
  
"Probably to keep it as quiet as possible, maybe even get it done in one night," Ren answered.    
  
"And probably to start whatever the cover story is," Yang added.   
  
"LOOK OUT!" Ruby yelled bringing the conversion to a halt. She pointed at the sky at a strange object falling toward them at an alarming speed. The teens all scrambled in different directions and took cover. The thing landed with a loud impact.   
  
"Are we dead?" Blake asked.   
  
"I don't think so, Pyrrha's not here" Jaune answered.    
  
"Somebody fired a missile at us!" Ruby yelled. "Who would do that?"   
  
"Well it didn't explode but it might still go off," Weiss answered.   
  
The ground was smoldering but they could hear something coming from it. Like something moving.   
  
"It's an alien!" Nora shouted.   
  
"Sal-u-tations!" a voice came from the crater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, buying content is probably insane.


	7. Interruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the part where I get sidetracked by nuts and dolts.

"Did that crater just say what I think it said?" Ruby said looking over the brim of the hole. Her eyes grew wide she covered her mouth with both hands and she took two steps backward. Tears of joy started to well up in her silver eyes and Ruby stood there speechless.   
  
"Guess we're going next." Weiss muttered, "Following the cliché and all." She made the awkward smile that often follows her attempts at humor she pointed at her tail.

 

“That joke implies were about to get killed.” Blake scoffed.   
  
Blake's response was to facepalm and started inching towards the hole followed by Weiss. Fortunately for them, the smoke dissipated before they reached the edge.  As they looked over they confirmed everyone's suspicions. Contently lying there, looking no worse wear after falling out of the sky, and just as they remembered her none other than. "Penny?" both faunus said simultaneously.   
  
  
"Sal-u-tations, my friends. Long time no see." She responded. "I seem to be stuck in this hole."    
  
Blake threw her the ribbon of her weapon. In a few moments, she started pulling "Yang a little help here. " She asked her teammate before the blond and her sister joined her on either side and began pulling. It still took a little bit to get Penny out of the crater.   
  
"Penny, what happened? What are you doing here?" Ruby asked.   
  
"And more importantly why is their crater in my backyard now?"  Weiss added.   
  
Penny started to answer "After my long stay in the..."  She paused for a moment "hospital " she said followed by a hiccup.    
  
Ruby interrupted her "It's okay Penny everybody knows now."   
  
Nora spoke up "Even if we didn't I'm pretty sure you'd have to be a robot to survive that!"   
  
Penny looked down at the damage he caused side and eventually said. "Point taken, after my new body was completed I was upgraded with new flight capabilities, but I got so excited about seeing you guys again I left without properly testing them."   
  
"Penny that was dangerous!" Ruby scolded her "That crash could’ve hurt us very badly."   
  
"And we don't have backups," Yang added.   
  
"I'm so glad to see you again." Ruby hugged Penny tightly turning off any response the robot could've made so she just wrapped her own arms around Ruby.    
  
"I'm glad to see you all too." She said after a moment "you've all undergone a few upgrades I see, especially Weiss and Yang. I was unaware you could upgrade into a Faunus."   
  
"Actually I was always one."  Weiss responded, "my tail was cut off when I was very young, but I found a way to regrow it."   
  


“Do you remember what happened, Penny?” Ruby asked   
  
"I disable my memory back up during battle, so I don't know exactly what happened." Penny reopened.   
  
"Tell you about it in a little bit," Ruby responded somberly "we have a lot of catching up to do, and not all of it will be pleasant."   
  
Penny looked around for a moment "Where is Pyrrha?" she asked.   
  
"Let's talk inside," Ruby said before taking her hand and leading her inside. Penny nodded and followed.   
  
"Never a dull moment in this group." Velvet spoke up from the burrow she dug.   
  
About 30 minutes later Penny and Ruby were sitting alone on the sofa the two were physically close. Ruby was holding on to Penny's hand with both of hers as they talked, Penny just continued looking down throughout it.   
  
"I'm sorry about Pyrrha," Penny said after she was informed on events starting from after her fight in the tournament. "If I had known that was going to be the outcome I would have dropped out."   
  
"Don't blame yourself, Penny," Ruby said. "Emerald and Cinder are bad people."   
  
Penny looked up and said "I don't think I understand evil. Now I think I understand it even less."   
  
"A lot of people feel that way, but you can't dwell on it," Ruby answered. Her response was the second biggest surprise of the day as the robot pressed her surprisingly soft and warm lips against hers. Ruby muttered in confusion before breaking the kiss and saying. "Not complaining, but what was that for?"   
  
"You told me not to dwell so I engaged in the first pleasant activity that came to mind," Penny responded with a big smile on her face. "I wanted to do that for a while even not counting the time was out of commission."   
  
"That was my first kiss!" Ruby exclaimed.    
  
Penny asked, "Was it inappropriate?"    
  
"I'm just surprised and I wasn't ready." Ruby answered and tried to calm down "Do you mind if we tried again?"    
  
The two girls all locked lips again it was awkward it was clumsy and they couldn't stop giggling. But they both enjoyed it anyway.    
  
"Ruby and Penny sitting in a tree." Yang sang as she came into the room.   
  
"We are not in the tree," Penny said scratching her head.    
  
Jaune  joined the three girls "oh come on, was Pyrrha the only straight girl in Beacon?"   
  
Nora walked in holding hands with Velvet "Yes, yes she was. "

 

  
Yang blushed and spoke up. "Actually I'm pansexual, but... you're like the little brother I never wanted."   
  
"Yaa that figures," Jaune said.

  
  


The others found Weiss kneeling beneath her family portrait her weapon was at her left and a glass of sake was in front of her. Her eyes were closed her expression was blank and her breath was steady.   
  
"Ruby you should go over there, and be prepared to decapitate her."   
  
"Crikey!" Everyone shouted looking at the robot. Ruby continued in "why should I have to decapitate Weiss?"   
  
"She appears to be preparing for seppuku," Penny responded.   
  
Weiss interrupted her "what makes you think I am..." She opened her eyes and realized the answer to her question before she finished asking. "Sorry I didn't realize what this looks like."   
  
Between gasps of relief, Ruby squeaked out the question "okay... Then what... Are you... doing?"   
  
"Reflecting on my identity" She answered. "My family" pointing at the painting. "Being a huntress." holding up her sword. "And because I can't have my tail in front of me" she held up the sake. "This represents regaining the faunus part of me."    
  
"That makes so much more sense," Ruby said catching her breath.   
  
Only just then did Blake join the group. "Weiss don't!"    
  
"I'm not commenting seppuku." she started to laugh at the misunderstanding. "I think we're feeling cooped up, we haven't left my property scene last night."   
  
"I suggest we go out for lunch." Ruby smiled and said.   
  
"Great idea, I just found a good Sushi place online," Blake said excitedly "It will help Weiss reconnect with her people and it's great for a first date."   
  
"Miss Belladonna, did you just ask me out?" Weiss teased.   
  
"I guess I did." Blake squeaked   
  
"Well, it sounds wonderful." Weiss smiled and took her hand.   
  
"Hope you don't mind it being a double date," Ruby spoke up taking Penny's arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like dark comedy but I don't have a good grasp of it. Suicide is not a laughing manner, but Seppuku is so ritualistic I thought mistaking something for that would be funny.
> 
> Next time a more enjoyable part of Japanese culture.


	8. The world beyond.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suishi.

Weiss reached for her front door with her growing circle of friends, besides Jaune, gathered behind her. She stopped just before she turned the handle "we can't just go out with a girl that died on national television in our group. Someone is bound to notice."    
  
"Allow me to demonstrate another one of my upgrades." Penny closed her eyes for a moment her red hair turned black and she removed the ribbon from her hair. "An important thing about disguises is to keep them simple."   
  
Weiss blinked a few times before responding with "are you sure that's enough of a disguise?"    
  
Penny shifted slightly. Her smile and overall posture became stiffer, and when she spoke her tone was more cold and condescending. "You would be surprised how much of a disguise a simple change of attitude is, idiot!"   
  
Everyone took a step back from the robot. It was at this moment that Jaune decided to return from the washroom. He looked around briefly, "who's the new girl and what happened to Penny?"   
  
"I told you!" Penny scoffed.   
  
Weiss smiled. "That's Jaune, it proves nothing."    
  
Ruby looked between the two of them "Weiss is happy and Penny is angry. Did I go to the reverse world or something... again?"   
  
The other girls giggled at Ruby's comment. Weiss was about to say more but she was caught off by Nora "can we stop standing around here? I'm hungry!"   
  
"You heard my girlfriend." Velvet chuckled as Weiss went through the door. The girls all started walking out in pairs.    
  
  
In the back of group the boys were talking amongst themselves "does this feel awkward to you Ren?" The blond asked.   
  
"Being surrounded by three different lesbian couples? No." The ninja said with a grin.   
  
"Are you..." Jaune started to ask.   
  
Ren cut him off "Relax Jaune, I'm not into you."    
  
"Am I the only straight person I know?" Jaune shouted.   
  
"Starting to look like it," Nora said with a laugh.   
  
  


The group reached the sushi buffet and they saw somebody standing in front of the door looking quite upset.   
  
"Whoever heard of a sushi restaurant that doesn't allow Faunus?" The girl screamed.   
  
"Neon is that you?" Weiss worked toward recognizing the girl from the tournament.    
  
The girl turned around and saw the group of nine lined up behind her. "Neyaa long time no Schnee." 

 

“Yep it’s been a while,” Weiss muttered.

  
Blake spoke up "Sorry but did you say, no faunus allowed?  That is pretty messed up."   
  
Weiss's expression turned into a predatory sneer. "Well if Schnee money isn't good here they will not be in business long."    
She turned around and her tail swished as she waited for people to realize who they were keeping out.   
  
Neon looked down mesmerized by the tail swishing in front of her "The rumors are true? You really are one of us?"   
  
"Yes, I am a Faunus," Weiss said happily.    
  
"You probably had to tell the story again like a million times already." Neon said playfully.   
  
"It sure feels like it, but I'm happy to say that it's thanks to Jaune that I have a tail again." Before the conversation could continue, a door started to creep open. A woman in her 30s with long dark hair quickly pulled down the “No Faunus allowed to sign."   
  
"Thank you very much." Weiss gave a bow before looking around "a table for 9 will be alright correct?"   
  
The woman nodded before stepping aside. Near the back of the group, Ruby turned to Penny and asked her "no ...um dietary restrictions we need to worry about?"   
  
"No, it will be fine."She responded as they walked past Neon.   
  
"Hey don't I know you?" Neon said pointing at Penny the couple tensed up for a moment. "I still owe you for that rice bowl back at Beacon.   
  
"I think you got the wrong girl this is... Jenny." Ruby said    
  
Penny snarked "Besides don't you want your money for the restaurant?"   
  
"I have plenty of money it's no problem."  Neon insisted and handed over what she thought she owed.   
  
  
Weiss exclaimed, "Blake I think I have enough!"    
  
Blake followed her partner up to the sushi buffet with the intention of helping her pick out the best types of sushi but apparently, the best consisted of the entire selection. Their plates were almost overflowing with different types of sushi. Tuna, shrimp, eel, crab, squid, and even some of the vegetarian rolls were crowding the poor little plates. Weiss’s was struggling to hold it.   
  
"It might even be enough for the whole team." She said as she tugged her date back. She started guiding Blake back to the others.   
  
"Sorry, I guess I got carried away. And it's not like I'll get the chance to spoil you very often." Blake said with a sheepish grin.   
  
" _ You're _ the Princess. You're the one who should be spoiled." She put her heavy plate down at the table and gave her a quick peck on the lips.   
  
"Okay you win I'm a princess," Blake said with a smile.    
  
Weiss sat down back at her seat she was a little uncomfortable for a moment "Still not used to this when I'm sitting down." She muttered before selecting her first piece of sushi. In a moment the tuna filled morsel slid down her throat she gave a satisfied moan she was practically purring as the sweet potato one joined it.   
  
The  selections everyone else made were pretty nondescript, except for Penny, who didn't have any dressings and had picked out the three most unpopular sushi they had.    
  
The good times were interrupted by Weiss getting a call. Reluctantly she answered her scroll and was surprised to see Ironwood on the screen.   
  
"Miss Schnee how are you doing?" The serious man asked.   
  
Weiss responded, "I'm actually in the middle of lunch right now."   
  
"Sorry. Hopefully it won't be long., Your sister wants to speak to you, and frankly, she's a little sensitive right now."   
  
She blinked a few times before responding "What could possibly have my sister sensitive?"   
  
"Maybe it's best to see for yourself," He said before the view shifted. On the screen was a pair of fuzzy rounded triangles sitting on top of white hair. It shifted a little more before showing Winter her body language suggested that she was expecting to get yelled at.   
  
"Winter?" Weiss asked surprised "how did that happen?"   
  
"Probably not too different from you and your tail only without consent." The older Schnee responded in a hushed tone.  "these things are going to take a lot of getting used to. Everything is so loud now. I have four earplugs in and still everything's at least twice as loud before they were regrown."   
  
"Could be worse, you could have been a deer or a rabbit," Yang said from the other side of the table.   
  
"I don't even want to think of that," Winter whispered. "Little brother seems to be the odd one out. He's human, nobody can decide if that makes him the lucky one or the unlucky one."   
  
Weiss  had no idea how to respond eventually the best option she could think of was "I'm sorry, I never would've imagined this would be an outcome of reuniting with my true nature."  She whispered.   
  
Still whispering Winter answered, "I'm not mad at you, I just wish it was possible to ease me into this. Or if I ended up with claws that would work too."   
  
"Winter you just tried to make a joke?" Weiss whispered.     
  
"I've got to go now Weiss. My heads about to split open." Winter said and didn't wait for Weiss to respond before ending the call.   
  
"That reminds me, we have to visit father soon," Weiss said as she put her scroll away.   
  
Yang responded with sarcasm "What do you mean we?"

 

Ruby gave a sigh “We are her team.”

 

“Sorry but you guys need to handle this on your own.” Jaune said, “I know were like one big team now but.”

 

“I understand Jaune.” Weiss answered, “I’m not going to force you to go with us. Here, let me give you some spending money.”

 

“Weiss that’s…” Jaune started to say “Too generous.”

 

“This is more than I and Nora had in our entire lives,” Ren said.

 

“Combined,” Nora added.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penny takes on a tsundere persona in order to not be recognized.   
> This is the last chapter of the old, version. Get ready for new content.


	9. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss confronts her father in jail.
> 
> Waring: Racism, Hypocritical Racism.

The visitor's room was dark, at least three of the fluorescent lights that were supposed to illuminate the room were blown. The prison looked like it had been operating under budget for years. Weiss felt like the chair she was sitting on could break out from under her at any minute. She saw broken plaster leaks in the ceiling and even exposed wires. The thick glass that separated visitors from prisoners looked like it was one more strong blow from shattering. Jacques’ orange jumpsuit also seemed to be too small and dirty.   
  
Her team plus Penny was gathered behind her, Yang was staring down Mr. Schinee, Blake kept her attention on Weiss, Ruby and Penny kept scanning the room.   
  
"I think you're regretting pushing Ironwood to make separate prisons for Faunus now." Her mixed emotions were all tangled up in her voice. This man lied about who he was and mutilated her at a young age. He was also a hypocritical racist that caused much suffering for their people. But he was still her father.    
  
"Even the worst human criminals don't deserve to be left here unprotected from these animals." A mustached man grumbled from the other side of the bulletproof glass.   
  
"You're still one of us no matter how much you hate it," Weiss responded   
  
"Stop saying us!"  Jacques growled, "After I rescue you from being one of them  you throw it away."   
  
Weiss took a deep breath "How you feel about the Faunus does not change the truth.  Father, I would love to try to help you. Since I went open as a faunus and you went to jail,  the family fortune is in my name right now."   
  
"It's what?"  Jacques asked in disbelief.   
  
"However, until I can meet the demands of the workers on strike my hands are tied. I need you to confess what you really are."   
  
"I will not admit to my birth defect." He bellowed and stroked his mustache.   
  
"We have ways of making you talk," Weiss said before bringing out the laser pointer.   
  
"That's not going to work on me, I already had to fight off those urges plenty of times. My instincts will never get the better of me now.    
  
Penny spoke up in the voice of her tough girl alter ego  _ Jenny _ . "Looks like a new prisoner is being led in."  That prisoner was Weiss's opponent from the train.  He was still wearing his white fang uniform and mask   
  
Blake said, "Looks like  you're going to have to do a lot more fighting."   
  
Weiss continued in a businesslike tone. "If you meet the demands of the strikers I will have you moved to another prison."    
  
Before Jacques could form his response the new prisoner spoke up  " what's this I see? Jacques Schnee? He's locked in with me? Soon to be history."   
  
Weiss added a bit of predatory determination to her tone "Say no again and I will leave, and it will probably be the last time we see each other."

 

After a silence that only lasted a moment but felt like an hour "I don't expect a transfer to do me any good, beasts will be in the prison no matter where you send me. But it's probably better to get transferred and maybe be wrong. All right I'll make the confession. "    
  
Weiss took out her scroll and started recording.   
  
"They are animals, it felt so disgusting growing up among them. They were violent, selfish and undisciplined. As a child, I never wanted to be near them, not even my own family. You know how when they intermarry you never know what the kids will be? Well, my father was a Fox, my mother was a rabbit, my older sister was a pink haired cat she joined a group of traveling performers and my little brother was a brown-haired monkey.  

 

When a Grimm attacked my village, I was the only survivor of my family but my tail was broken beyond healing, cut off to a nub. I freed myself the rest of it and climbed down the mountain. 

 

That's when I found your mother, a beautiful wealthy woman that could give me everything I wanted. I quickly tried my best to woo her and soon I succeeded. I'd never been happier. Then your sister was born with those disgusting ears. Your mother never questioned it, which I found strange, but I didn't know how to ask it without tipping my hand. I went behind her back and had them surgically removed. 

 

She wouldn't let me do you the same favor. It was so revolting to see you snuggle up with that thing, I could barely stand to look at you. But you were smart and resourceful, so despite your deformity, I knew you'd be the better heir than your sister. When your brother finally came along I was so happy to see that he was normal. He had beaten the odds. It was soon after that that I couldn't stand that tail of yours anymore so I took the matter into my own hands. Yes, I am a Faunus... Satisfied?”

 

Weiss stopped the recording and took a deep breath. She found herself stroking her tail with her other hand. Weiss saved the video and emailed it to Blake as a way to quickly have a backup for it. "You never had her fooled, she knew what you were from the beginning."   
  
"Then she shouldn't have married me." Her father responded. "You shouldn't be here."    
  
"Regardless, I am here and I'm going to do everything I can to make this world a better place, as a huntress, as a Schnee, and as a Faunus." She moved to get up, but the chair gave out and she tumbled the few inches back to the ground, hitting the hard concrete floor and landing on the base of her tail. She yelled in pain. Blake extended her hand to help her back up.   
  
"Are you okay?" Blake asked.   
  
"My tail smarts a little." Weiss admitted, “and our healer isn't here right now."

 

Blake joked “Maybe I should kiss it better.”   
  
"You would be better off without it." Her father sneered. “And now you're with one of them.”

 

“That’s the princess of Menagerie.” one of the other prisoners said. “Watch your tongue.”

 

“My parents were a mixed marriage.” A big guy with bear claws said. 

 

“So were mine.” The guy from the train said

 

Jacques growled back“Well, the princess might end up with freaks like you.” 

 

Ruby looked concerned. “Do girls work that way? This is the second time it’s come up!”

  
  


One of the prison guards spoke up "Okay you're not safe to have around the other prisoners, we’re putting you in solitary until your transfer."   
  
"Goodbye, father." Weiss took another deep breath to collect herself. "Enjoy solitary confinement." Jaques was led off by the guard, leaving the girls alone.   
  
Ruby opened her arms and the team gathered up into a group hug. "Are you really okay?" She asked.   
  
  


“What do you want to do now?” Yang asked.

 

Weiss looked drained “Well I need to get that video to Illia, talk to my mother, help realign the company and add a trip to Menagerie to my to do list but right now…” she blushed “I Want to clear my mind.”


	10. Meanwhile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and his group find a faunus who is badly hurt and also mute.

Team RWBY and Penny decided to part ways from JNR and Velvet. As much as Jaune wanted to help protect Weiss, he or any of his teammates were in no mood to see the inside of prison right now. Besides, she already had Ruby, Blake, and Yang for emotional support. Weiss and he were never going to be a thing romantically. Not that that was all he was worried about.

The blonde warrior was brought out of his Mindscape when Velvet suddenly stopped in front of him. He was so caught up in his head he didn’t even realize that he’d fallen behind the other three. Velvet’s bunny ears were perked straight up, listening for something. She did her quite unnecessary shush noise before she walked on to whatever had her attention.

 

“Somebody’s in trouble.” The Faunus said before dashing off. Jaune followed her immediately. Ren and Nora waited another moment for an explanation before realizing it was not coming, causing Nora to be the one to fall behind a little before velvet stopped at the entrance to a dark alleyway. It was then that the three of them could hear a child crying, but it wasn’t the type that you would expect from somebody that was hurt, it was like a helpless “I don’t know what to do” type of crying.

Jaune didn’t hesitate before heading into seeing what the matter was. Nora followed behind him with Ren and velvet taking up the rear. There they saw a tiny little girl, with what was possibly the start of horns or antlers budding from her head, trying to move another Faunus with an open wound on her head and more injuries on the rest of her body.  Her large cat ears were drooped down; blood stains were all over her white jacket and brown pants, both of which were torn up. Her three colored hair was a total mess. She was barefoot, and she was totally silent, despite how badly hurt she looked. She wasn’t moaning in pain or calling out for help, even her labored breathing was totally silent.

“What happened here?” Jaune asked the little girl.

She responded with “I don’t know I found her out here.  I don’t know what to do.”

Jaune looked down at her and smiled “it’s okay, and is very lucky that I came along.” He said before scooping up the battered woman before her. “I’ll have her feeling good as new soon.”

Before she left the alleyway the little girl spoke up again “Here I think this is, hers “  and handed Nora a ripped and broken umbrella.

Jaune started pouring his healing energy into the mysterious woman. She opened one of her eyes but the other one seemed to give her trouble. It was dark brown, she looked confused and worried but still, she didn’t say anything. She just kept looking around as Jaune continued to carry and heal her. After a few moments, she tried to escape from his arms.

 

“It’s okay we’re here to help,” Nora said. “I’m Nora, this is Ren, Velvet, and Jaune.”

The woman tried again to get out of his grasp. She opened her other eye briefly which seemed to be bubblegum pink for a moment but when she opened it again, they were matching brown.

Ren asked, “We’re not going to hurt you, do you understand us?”

The strange girl nodded.

“Are you able to talk?” Jaune asked.

And she just shook her head no.

Jaune asked, “So your mute?”

And she nodded again and tried to get back down again. She seemed to be determined to not be with her rescuers. Jaune sat her down on a park bench nearby. He handed her his scroll. She tried to make him take it back.

Jaune insisted “It okay I just want to know what happened. “

This strange girl shook her head no very determinedly. Trying to force the device back into the owner’s hands. She was going to get up again but she realized that in the first place she was surrounded, and in the second place she still wasn’t up for walking.

 

With a compassionate voice, Nora asked: “could you please tell us what happened?”

She made a silent sigh before she started to say in sign language “you wouldn’t understand.”

Surprising everybody by signing as he spoke Jaune answered. “It’s alright I understand sign language. I can translate it for Ren and Nora.”

 

“I understand it also.” Velvet said and she signed “But I haven't used it in a while.

 

She made another silent sigh before she started signing “I think what happened was that Jacques Schnee ruined pretending you’re not a Faunus for everybody. A big guy was going around trying to see if people would pounce to his laser pointer. When my instincts took over he…” She couldn’t bring herself to sign the rest.

“Before I forget, is this yours?” Nora asked handing her the badly damaged umbrella. The strange girl took the thing and started silently sobbing. Jaune moved her so she was crying onto his shoulder and started to hold on tight.

It was over an hour of silent crying before the girl looked up. The four former students were still gathered around her. She looked confused for a moment. She started to sign “Why are you all still here?”

Jaune answered her. “They’re my friends. They wouldn’t leave if they didn’t have a good reason. Do you have any friends?”

 

The girl looked down and signed not “Not anymore. I lost him, during the fall of Beacon.”

“We lost somebody that day too,”  Jaune answered.

 

Nora spoke up. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

“Can we get Ice Cream first?” the mute singed.

 

“That won’t be a problem.” Jaune smiled.

 

Velvet spoke up. “I think we need to get you new shoes first.”

 

The mute looked down and signed“They took my boots?” She gave a silent sigh. “They didn’t take my money but I don’t have much.”

 

Ren put a hand on her. “It’s alright.”

 

“We can get you some good shoes no problem,” Nora said with a smile.

 

“I’m guessing you take a size five,” Jaune said with a smile.

 

The mute looked at the other two girls before asking “You can tell?”

 

“I have seven sisters,” Jaune admitted with a blush. “Ohh you never gave us your name.”

 

“Just call me N-E-O” She signed.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm leaving this charter out of the tags, but I think you know who she is.


	11. What is family?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly filler so you guys don't get to know what's going on with Jaune.

“Are you all right Weiss?”  Blake asked

 

The two faunus teammates were looking into each other's eyes. Ears and tail were both dropped down, their arms were outstretched but they hesitated to make contact. The group of five had barely left the prison, and even though there was no actual fight, what Jacques Schnee said had been as emotionally draining as a crushing defeat. Blake and Weiss taking it the worst.    
  
"Me? What about you? There are probably some old friends from back when you were in the White Fang there, and you heard some horrible things about our people." Weiss said with a sigh of the defeat.   
  
"Said by your father." Blake needlessly reminded her. "I hate to say it but that's hardly the worst I've heard."   
  
"I'm starting to understand the White Fang that you believed in." Weiss said, "I'm sorry I doubted you before."   
  
Blake looked away "Seems like a long time ago but, when you think about it we haven't even known each other for a year."

 

"A crazy year where a lot of bad things happened." Weiss answered, "But I wouldn't trade the friends I made for anything."   
  
"Man this is turning into a real soap opera." Yang scoffed.   
  
"And that's why you're single." Ruby joked.   
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" The rest of the team asked.   
  
"Trying to get you to smile," Ruby answered.   
  
Penny spoke up for the first time in a while "I think the two of them should kiss."   
  
"What?" They both asked turning bright red.    
  
"It certainly helped me and Ruby's mood when we kissed." The robot responded. Which earned a bit of awkward laughter from everybody but Yang. 

 

  
Ruby's response was to kiss Penny on the cheek "I don't think that will help them right now."   
  
The group of five decided to continue walking, not exactly sure where they were heading. But right at the moment they just had to get away from the prison.

 

“Maybe we should go shopping,” Yang suggested. 

 

“You just want to spend some of my money!” Weiss sarcastically accused. 

 

“Guilty as charged!” Yang said with a smirk “but, hear me out, were always saving the world. And before that, school and uncovering secret plots. We haven’t done normal teenage things like shopping, pedicures or getting pizza.”

 

“Yang!” Ruby interjected, “You hate pedicures.”

 

Yang replied, “And two of my closest friends don’t know that when it’s a thing most girls do together.”  The other four girls looked at her with a combination of confusion and concern. “Fine forget the pedicures!”

 

Weiss spoke up "I think she's on to something, desire for self-torture notwithstanding. And I think you would benefit from a facial."   
  


By this point, it was already late afternoon. They wouldn't have that much time to spend shopping, but they would be able to hit a few key stores. First, they went to a clothing store that was so cute and girly Yang felt out of place. But she was smiling nonetheless as she saw the other girls pick out cute new shirts. Penny decided that she wanted a red hoodie and put it on right away.

 

"A kigurumi, really?" Yang said looking at what Ruby was looking at. There were a few different ones, some cats, corgi, fox, unicorn, and a few others.

 

“Yaa Ruby you can’t wear those,” Blake said.

“Why not?” Ruby asked puffing her cheeks.

 

“You would be entirely too cute,” Blake responded with a teasing tone.

 

“Hey, you guys!” A voice rang out the group turned to find Illia. “Fancy running into you here.”

 

Everyone greeted Illia in their own fashion. “Who’s this?” she said indicating Penny who by now was dark-haired without her ribbon and trying to look tough in a cute jacket. She was completely unrecognizable from before despite only having made minor changes.

 

“They call me Jenny,” she answered.  “I’m a friend of Ruby’s who dropped by to see her after being unavailable for a while.”

 

Illia giggled. “You're a character.”

 

“Were all charters,”  _ Jenny _ responded.

 

Illia shrugged and said “Can’t argue with that. Funny to see you guys, especially after just missing Jaune."   
  
"Jaune was here?"  Weiss asked.   
  
"Yeah, they were helping the homeless Faunus child from the looks of it. I didn't want to interrupt so I didn't talk to them."   
  
"That's so nice." Weiss smiled. "How did the video of my father go over?"   
  
"Not well, most people feel like they got the Monkey's paw treatment." Ilia responded with a sigh "I managed to convince the majority of them that if they get mad over it, he wins. Also, your company will be back on track by the end of the weekend as far as I know."   
  
"That's great to hear." Weiss responded than asked, "So what are you doing here?"    
  


Ilia turned pink before responding “Looking for a new jacket. Speaking of which, have you considered how warm the tail of yours probably is?"   
  
"Come to think of it, I don't really know that much about actual snow leopards." Weiss sheepishly admitted   
  
"Well, it's a good thing that I ran into you then. Besides polar bears, they’re the predator that lives in the harshest of conditions they are built for surviving up in remote mountains. Before you go any further south I think I should let you in on a secret."   
  
"Well, I do think I should go to Menagerie sometime." Weiss admitted."   
  
With that Ilia unzipped her top a little bit more to reveal a necklace that had a large fire dust crystal embedded into it " well then you're going to need something like this but with ice crystals, your tail will probably cook without it."    
  
Weiss smiled "Thank you very much. Guess that means we're hitting the jewelry store next."

It wasn't too long before the group found a local jewelry store, but it didn't seem to have much in the way of Faunus pacific merchandise.

 

" I can't find anything like what Ilia was recommending," Weiss said looking at the selection.

 

"We're probably going to have to improvise it ." Ruby said looking at some of the cheap necklaces "I know a couple things about jewelry making. I can probably get it together."

 

"I wasn't expecting to hear that!" Weiss said.

 

"Really helps with the finer details of Crescent Rose."  Ruby sheepishly replied, "Could come in handy with my new girlfriend."

 

Ruby started looking at some different styles of silver chain."Silver?"  Blake asked 

 

"It will match Weiss's color scheme better, and it's a little sturdier than gold. It’s better for a functional piece of jewelry," Ruby replied. She looked at some of the simple silver hoops " this will be good for mounting the crystals in. Just need some dust crystals."

 

_ Jenny  _ added, “Well bronze is best for  sturdy jewelry but it would be  atrocious on her.”

  
  


“Well I don’t think that’s a problem,” Weiss admitted. She started smiling with a tear of joy.

 

“Are you okay?” Blake asked

 

“It just hit me how much you girls mean to me. I couldn't have asked for a better team.

 

“We're not a team Weiss.” Ruby said, “Were family.”

 

“I don’t get it.”  _ Jenny  _ snipped “We don’t have white hair.”

 

“Family of choice.” Yang clarified. “Our bond is deeper than normal friendship. It applies to Jaune, Nora, and Ren also”

 

“But then Weiss and Blake shouldn't be...”She started to say.

 

Blake answered“The whole date, don’t date thing is a little confusing when it comes to stuff like this. If it feels right, do it. If it feels wrong don’t.” 

 

The robot responded by kissing Ruby again. After a few moments, Ruby asked with a chuckle “Okay so that’s your answer to being confused now?”

 

_ Jenny  _ shrugged and admitted, “It’s working so far.”


	12. Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh a tender huntsman finds a cold half dead faunus. What will come of this we can only guess. Take me in baby, take me in for goodness sake.

Neo dismounted from the bench, she found the cobblestone path painful on her bare feet and her short legs were already going to slow these nice people down. She looked up from her feet to see Jaune looking down to her. “Leave me.” She singed looking down disappointed. Jaune just smiled and scooped her up in his arms bridal style. “You don’t need to do this.” She signed blushing.

 

“Helping nice girls is what heroes do,” Jaune said with a cheesy tone.

 

Velvet giggled “Man Jaune, you are a dork.”

 

Neo wanted to protest more but she couldn't bring her hands to move. She just let herself be carried by Jaune. She blinked again forgetting to keep her eyes brown when she opened them one was pink.

 

“Your eyes change color?” Nora asked. Neo looked scared her ears drooped. She looked like she was waiting to be dropped right then. She glanced over to an open garbage bin and looked at it like she accepted her fate of being thrown away.  Nora looked at her “Sorry I can tell it’s a sore spot.”

 

“Will it help if I said I think it’s cute,” Jaune spoke up with a big warm grin.

 

Neo looked at him blinking, her ears pricked back up eventually she signed “Nobody ever said I was cute before, most people think I’m weird and creepy.”

 

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Jaune said softly.

 

Nora looked at Jaune and asked, “You do realize you use a French accent when you translate her?”

 

“No, I don’t.” Jaune blissed. “Whatever you mean by French.”

 

Neo singed with a chuckle “It’s an accent of some kind.”

 

Ren chimed in “You just did it.”

  
  


When they made it to a local shoe store Neo sat down on one of the benches, Jaune healed her but she was still sore. Her aura had never been this low. She couldn't make an illusion of a ring if she tired.  Jaune was watching her, the other three were scouring the place for anything in a size five they could find. 

 

“What are they?" Neo signed and then pointed to Ren and Nora    
  
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." June answered her "they're both humans if that's what you're talking about. Though I don't think anybody would be that surprised if Nora turned out to be an alien."   
  
Neo gave a silent giggle and signed "aren't they  lovers?"   
  
It was June's turn to laugh. Before he could respond they both returned Nora had a pair of pink high heels and Ren had some white and brown sneakers "Can't find boots in your size." Ren said, "maybe velvet is having better luck."   
  
"She just asked if you're a couple." The blonde said with a laugh. In the two other teenagers joined in the chuckle.   
  
"We're like siblings." They said simultaneously "and I'm a lesbian." Nora continued.   
  
"I'm gay," Ren said.   
  
Neo looked at them confused "What do you mean by that?"   
  
"They are women and men that look for others like them in romantic partners." Jaune said, "you weren't told about that when you were younger?"   
  
Neo looked down ashamed "The man who took me in, he tried his best to keep me isolated from everybody else. He said I would frighten everybody. He didn't want me to sign to anybody but him. He told me to hide my ears and he told me they would fear my eyes."Jaune's response was to say a few rude things in sign language. "We shouldn't sign ill of the dead, but maybe you're right. But please, let's change the subject, what about Velvet?"    
  
"She's my girlfriend," Nora answered.   
  


Neo sat there finger fumbled until Velvet came back to the group with a pair of white faux fur lined boots. Unlike her old ones, they were smaller, only going past her ankles. She also had a pair of pink kitty slippers. “Here these might be what you need.”

 

Neo tried on all of the pairs. She gave a smile after each one but preferred the boots.  “You people are so kind, especially you.” She pointed to Jaune and tears started to well up “Nobody ever made me feel normal before.”

 

Nora smiled “I think we promised you Ice Cream in exchange for your tragic backstory.”

 

“Right” Neo singed. “But you also have to tell me about you and Velvet, and one more thing.” 

 

She looked nervous as she signed. “Can I get one of those like you are wearing? She then pointed at Jaune.

 

“A hoodie?” Jaune said with a nod. “That’s not a problem.”

 

One quick trip to a clothing store later and  Neo had a new pink and white hoodie. It was a little too big, but she didn’t mind. It let her wear it over her ears. She still held onto her broken umbrella. 

 

Soon they were at the ice cream parlor. They piled into a booth with Ren, Velvet, and Nora taking one side leaving Neo to hang out with Jaune on the other side. Jaune had a dish of pumpkin ice cream with salted caramel, Ren a small green tea cone, Velvet had chocolate in a dish with marshmallow cream,  Neo chose a strawberry shake so she could keep a hand free. 

 

Nora had a monstrosity of a sundae that could feed 8 people with cake batter and cotton candy ice cream, with chocolate cream cookies, gummy worms, peanut butter cups, pineapples, bananas, rainbow sprinkles, and extra whipped cream and caramel. 

 

“Okay, she’s not human!” Neo singed in disbelieve. “And I felt guilty for asking for a large.”

 

“Hey, if you're not ready to tell us more about you it’s fine,” Nora said from behind her mountain of ice cream. 

 

“No, it’s all right. As painful as it is I want people to know.” She signed with a silent sigh. “I ’m originally from a mountain village, not far from here actually. My parents were both cat Faunus like me,  my father was C-O-L-A and my mother was C-H-E-R-R-Y she was great she had a semblance like mine. I was already skilled with it when I was just a child.” 

 

“Ohh what’s your semblance?” Nora asked between bites.

 

“Umm mind if I get back to that latter?” Neo responded. The others nodded and Nora gave a thumbs up. “Both my parents where showmen. Mom was an illusionist and dad was an acrobat.  We were part of a traveling show It was pretty great until…”

 

“Grimm.” Everyone said at once.

 

“Griffins, mom and me were the only survivors that I know of, and she was badly injured.” Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. “She collapsed in the snow just outside of the city, leaving me scared, cold and alone, with just a necklace and her signature umbrella. The one that muscle head broke today.”

 

Jaune put an arm around her and held her. Neo cried into him again before she continued. “A man found me, he took me in. He wasn't nice. He told me that people would be afraid of me so I shouldn’t sign, and that I should hide my ears. And he made me into a criminal. I’ve done so many terrible things, and I was willing to do more, would still be doing more but he was eaten.”

 

“You're a criminal?” Ren asked.

 

“And now that you know, I will be alone again.” She started to cry and get up. She found a hand on her shoulder.”

 

“It doesn't matter who you were, it’s who you are,” Jaune said. “You’re not a bad person despite who raised you.” 

 

“We aren't going to just dessert you,” Nora said. “You are our friend now.”

 

“Besides your not the only one with a major felony here.” Nora giggled.

“Tell the world, why don’t you!” Ren snarked.

 

“Really?” Neo singed. “Can I know about you and Velvet now?”

 

“Well, it all started in Argus,” Nora said with a smile.


	13. Chocolate Thunder!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucky thirteen brings us the tale of how Nora and Velvet hook up.

The three team members were staring down Cordovin from behind iron bars. Her strange pair of lackeys standing behind her. 

 

"Lady you are off your rocker!" Nora called out.

 

"Don't make the crazy lady mad," Jaune said before realizing he shouldn't have put it that way.

 

"What else can she do, stick a hippo on us?" Nora responded.

 

"Why would I have a hippo?" Cordovin asked. "It seems Beacon wasn't as prestigious as it seemed if ne'er-do-wells like you attended. You must be the worst team that ever darkened its doorways. Where is your fourth member anyway? Or are you just some leftovers that they took pity on?"   
  
"We had the most amazing girl that ever attended on our team." The Jaune responded with a mix of sorrow remorse and anger.   
  
"Did she come to her senses and quit or did your incompetence lead to tragedy?" The old lady sneered back.   
  
"That does it!" Nora said taking out her hammer "You can badmouth me all you like but..."  her mouth was covered and she was dragged off before she can continue.   
  
"Starting a war will not help us," Ren said as he pulled Nora away.   
  


“I’ll clock  her for dissing Pyrrha and her hippo too!” Nora yelled.

 

Jaune gave a sigh of defeat "I know you're upset, but you'll only make things worse for us. We should probably go cool off somewhere."   
  
"So she has you guys grounded as well."  A new voice spoke up the three students looked up to see Team CFVY all looking annoyed.    
  
"She has a hippo?" Velvet asked.   
  


Nora’s response was to blush and stammer. She thought Velvet was cute for a while but with how busy her team was she never found a good opportunity to talk to her, plus she was shy and hard to approach. Encountering velvet unexpectedly really threw her off guard.

 

“Nora speachless,” Jaun said in astonishment.

 

“Never thought I would see the day,” Ren added.  “Almost worth being grounded by Cordovin.”

 

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Jaune asked I thought you guys went to " ... What was it again?"

 

“Shade” Cocoa responded. "Well we were there, but with so many of the students from Beacon displaced there, we had a bit of a supply and demand problem when it came to Huntsmen and Huntresses. So we hopped on a flight to what was supposed to be a quick mission and ended up stranded here with the lockdown.”

  
  


“So you ran into that hag too?” Coco spoke up. “Well, at least you don’t have a Faunus on the team. She’s racist as well.”

 

“She has no soul if she can hate the cutest girl at Beacon.” Nora blurted out.

 

“But Nora your not a Faunus.” Velvet timely sated before covering her mouth.

  
  


“Boys can I have a word with you?” Coco said leading off Jaune and Ren.

 

"Looks like Beacon's matchmaker needs a taste of her own medicine." Coco chuckled.

 

Ren answered, “Yes, the queen of hearts with only one blemish on her record has her eyes on some bunny.”

 

“One blemish…” Jaune started to ask before realizing “ oh.”

 

Coco course corrected the conversation "Anyway I think the feeling might be mutual. She takes plenty of pictures of weapons but the only people she ever photographed were the team and her." 

 

“But what do we do?” Jaune asked.

 

“My first thought is ditch  ‘em both.” Cocoa admitted. “But that’s not nice.”

 

Velvet’s ears pricked up. “Hey umm… Nora,  want to get hot chocolate?”

 

“You mean me?” Nora asked.

 

“I don’t see any other people named Nora here.” Velvet chuckled.

 

“I would be happy to,” Nora said taking her hand before whispering. “Why?”

 

Velvet Groaned “Because what Coco is planning is painful to hear.”

 

Nora Smirked  “Does Coco want to ask me out too?”

 

“I hope not!” Velvet blurted out ears standing straight up as she covered her mouth causing Nora to laugh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blame my beta reader for this one, he insisted. Arguest is a good time for this to happen but the city has so few characters to work with.
> 
> I got frustrated at one point and almost had Nora and Velvet casually to a Coco style afterlife to hang with Pyrrha, Summer, Ren's parents and Tock.


	14. Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RWBY finally know who Jaune has been helping.

“Why am I so hungry today?” Weiss asked staring down her large vanilla milkshake. 

 

RWBY decided to get Ice Cream before rejoining Jaune and his group. Ruby had a large strawberry hot fudge sundae with sprinkles, Yang went for something with salted caramel in a cone. Blake had a small dish of a dark chocolate ice cream. Penny had a cone of Butter Pecan. Weiss was going to go for a small vanilla milkshake, but she found herself saying large. 

 

“Probably because you're not holding back anymore,” Blake remarked. “Also that amazing job with healing Resulted in you growing bones, flesh, muscles and quite a bit of fur. And I'm no scientist, but that has to come from something. Your resources are probably depleted."

 

_ Jenny  _ scoffed “That fur will probably require you to ingest more proteins as well as iron and vitamin B. It’s possible that you need supplements for a while. I think it'll be likely that your appetite will be slightly higher on average after you readjust. "

 

“That’s a lot of speculation,” Weiss said after a big gulp. 

 

"Regrowing the impossible is unprecedented," Yang said. 

 

“I guess that’s true.” Weiss shrugged. “Oh, I just thought of something, cats can’t regrow tails but lizards can. Illia doesn't have a tail but she does have connections maybe she knows somebody that can tell me about it.”

 

“Ohh..” Ruby said as her scroll went off. “Jaune texted me, that’s strange. He wants to know if we know sign language.”

 

“Well, I do,” Blake said singing along with the words. “It was part of White Fang training.”

 

Weiss gave a chuckle “A week ago that would have been surprising.”

 

Yang did the same “Dad taught us when we were younger. Haven’t practiced in a while”

 

_ Jenny  _ answered, “Well, of course, I do it’s pretty easy for somebody like me.”

 

Wiess, remarked sadly “That just leaves me.”

 

“All of us but Weiss, why do you ask Jaune?” Ruby texted back.

 

The reply text read "this girl we picked up is mute. The more people that can understand her the better."   
  
A text from Nora read "She's been through a lot."   
  
  
Ruby looked at the rest of the group "so that Faunus girl Ilia mentioned is also mute. Sounds like she's having a rough day"   
  
"Poor thing." Weiss replied, "well, we will be meeting up soon."

 

Nora looked down at her new friend "It's okay Neo, we are meeting up with the rest of our friends."   
  
"They're not going to like me." Neo singed back.   
  
Don't be silly Nora responded, "They don't have a mean bone between them. They’re the greatest girls you could ever meet."   
  
"Do I have competition?" Neo singed    
  
Nora smiled "Don’t worry, four of them are dating each other the last sees Jaune as a brother."   
  
"Wait a second, since when do you know how to sign?"Neo asked.   
  
"It's supposed to be hard to learn?" Nora shrugged. “Anyway, I think you and Jaune might work.”

 

“Thank you, coming from you that means a lot.” Neo signed with a smile.

  
  
  


When Ruby locked eyes on the new member of Jaune’s group she drew Crescent Rose immediately. Acting on instinct Yang put up her dukes, Weiss and Blake both drew their weapons. A sword slid out of Penny’s wrist. Jaune drew his shield and sword. Noria took out her hammer, Ren dew his weapons and Velvet took out her auxiliary dagger. The friends all had weapons drawn on each other before anybody but Ruby knew why.

 

“What are we doing?” Nora asked.

 

“Your protecting Neoplatian,” Ruby responded. “She was part of Cinder’s team when she infiltrated Beacon.”

 

“I was different then.” Neo signed.

 

“Cinder’s the reason Pyrrha isn't here!” Yang yelled

 

“Emerald tricked Pyrrha into killing me,” Penny added.

 

“What?” Neo looked confused. “They never told me about that.”

 

“What are you doing here anyway?” Weiss added.

 

Neo signed in her defense“I was hurt badly if they didn’t find me…”

 

“She would probably be with Pyrrha right now.” Jaune finished for her

 

“I seriously doubt she would be with Pyrrha,”  Ruby replied. 

 

Weiss remarked “This is a case of the farmer and the snake if you ask me.”

 

“Who you calling a snake?” Neo singed as Jaune translated. 

 

Neo held out her umbrella then quickly realized the physical impossibility of holding it out and sighing.  Nora took the battered thing and held it for her.

 

Neo had a mixture of sorrow, anger, and betrayal buzzing in her head“I didn't know my knight was here. I didn’t know anything about his powers. I only have two mementos from my mother, one was this umbrella. It was ruined in the assault.  This could not would not be a con.”

 

“How do I know you're telling the truth about that?” Ruby scoffed, she immediately regretted the words but they were already out. She looked around to Jaune and his team they all looked like they had been stabbed in the chest. Ruby never saw Velvet’s ears drooped down so low. 

 

Looking back at her team, Blake wasn't looking at her, ears down. Weiss was confused, tail drooped down between her legs. Penny muttered “Error...” her eyes looked dark and she was as still as a statue.

 

“You of all people Ruby!” Yang steamed. 

 

She looked back to Neopolitan. That look on her face it was the same as Pyrrha had in her final moments.   She started to walk off, not getting far with her short legs. 

 

Ruby put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t touch me!” she heard Jaune translate. “This is the sweetest girl you ever met? The bravest huntress you know? The girl you were willing to follow to Haven on foot. The girl you stole from the Atlas military for! The girl you are willing to follow into battle with Salem!”

 

“Ouch…” Ruby muttered those words cut her worse than any blade. At that moment she felt like no better than Cinder. 

 

Jaune continued for Neo “I’m a criminal, but I didn't hurt your friends. I only just found out who killed Pyrrha…”

 

“There’s a sign for Pyrrha?” Weiss asked.

 

“Well, the literal translation would be Pumpkin Angel.” Nora answered clarifying with the correlating signs, “But who else would she mean?”

 

“She’s gone!” Blake said.

 

Everyone looked around, there was no sign of Neo anywhere.  June and his group looked worried.

 

“She couldn't have gone far,” Nora said. “We never found the guy that hurt her.”

 

“Don’t panic Nora,” Ruby exclaimed. “That’s my job!”

 

“Reboot, complete,” Penny said, “What’s wrong?”

 

“I probably just killed somebody!” Ruby yelled.

 

Weiss slapped her “Ruby don’t get hysterical.”

 

“Or arrested for that matter,” Ren added.


	15. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Jaune look for the faunus the helped and hurt, they find the people that hurt her in the first place.

Ruby, Jaune and Penny were scouring the city for Neo. They where a group of three when the others paired off. Jaune and Penny were starting to worry about how worked up Ruby was. She kept looking around and up to the sky.  _ Did she think she was going to be smitten?  _

 

“I gotta find her…” Ruby muttered over and over. 

 

“I think Ruby needs a reboot,” Penny said.

 

“She never made a mistake like this before,” Jaune answered, “I’d explain why she’s lost her mind but she will probably feel like I’m rubbing it in.”

 

Neo was alone again. Alone is what she disserved. She thought she could get be forgiven.   tears were flowing down her face but no sound. Where was she? She didn't even know where she ran two.

 

“Hey your that girl Jaune was helping.” Neo turned around and saw a spotted girl looking concerned. 

 

“Go away.” she singend. “I’m beneath help.”

 

“Where’s Jaune? Why are you on your own?” Illia asked the mute.   
  
“His friends hate me,” Neo responded.   
  
“That can’t be true,” Illia responded. Neo pushed her out of the way as a mace slammed into her knocking her into a street lamp.   
  


 

“Well well well.” A cruel voice said. “That freak is back again. 

 

Neo looked up to see the goon who beat her to a pulp and ruined her umbrella. Now he was backed up by three other muscleheads. 

 

“Looks like she’s hiding her deformity again.”   Cardin chucked.

 

“No, I just like the hood.” Neo singed back. 

 

“What’s that weird thing she’s doing with her hands?” Sky asked.

 

“Who knows,” Russel added, “Well if she wants us to stop.”

 

“She just has to beg for mercy.” Dove sneered before kicking her in the gut.

 

“Hey leave her alone!” Illia said drawing her weapon. She was an intense red.

 

“Looks like we got one more.” Cardin said, “At least this one  will know how to beg.”

“I’m mute you morons.” Neo singed. 

 

“She’s can’t talk!” Illia said to them.

 

Cardin’s response was a dark chuckle “So she’s more of a freak than we thought.”

 

Cardin sneered “Look, if you two sissies are done with the slumber party, were going to finish what I started.” 

 

He raised the mace again. Neo waited for the end but something red appeared before her to take the attack. The figure fell to one knee after she took the impact.

 

“Ruby?” Illia asked.

 

“Hello Illia,” Ruby replied. “Neo I’m so sorry. I should never have said what I did.”

 

“It really hurt you know.” Neo singed back

 

Ruby tied to joke “Yaa these peabrains got nothing on what I did.” which earned her a shoulder punch.

 

“Isn't this cute.” one of the guys said, “Little pussy has friends.”

 

“What are you morons even doing here?" Ruby asked.   
  
"What does it look like?" Suy responded rhetorically "taking out the trash."   
  
And it was at this point that Jaune and Penny arrived on the scene. The two of them wegged themselves between Cardin and Ruby.

 

“Really you guys!” Jaune said annoyed “Not having to deal with you guys ever again was the only silver lining to that day!”

 

“Ohh is that how you great an old friend?” Cardin joked. 

 

Jaune ignored him and started helping Neo back up. Penny helped out Ruby. “Are you all right?” they both asked at the same time.    
  
Both girls responded with "I am now."   
  
" and are we to expect the other girls that friendzoned you?"  Russell mocked.   
  
"Nevermind the cavemen,"  Jaune said. "They are not worth it."   
  
"That's the guy that beat me up."  Neapolitan signed.

 

Jaune held her “That’s low even for him but he’s not worth it. Hurting somebody too dumb to understand never solves anything.”

 

Cardin mocked him“So who’s this? She looks like a downgrade from Pyrrha.”

 

Jaune then channeled Yang. He threw a roundhouse haymaker into this cheekbone that sent him flying into the side of a pet shop.

Penny didn’t bother asking about it and kissed Ruby. “Thanks but now’s,  not the time.”

 

The other three meatheads kept looking back and forth between Jaun and their leader. After a moment they all lifted their weapons and took a fighting stance against the blonde. 

 

“Why don’t you guys back off?” Jaune asked

 

Sky barked back “Learn to keep your nose out of other people's business.”

 

Penny stood next to Jaune  declaring “Protecting our friends is our business.”  

 

“But I’m not...” Neo started to sign.

 

Without looking back Ruby said. “Well, that’s my fault.”

  
  


"This is so sweet I think I'm gonna barf," Cardin said as he recovered. "Well, you can all suffer together."

 

The opposing team regrouped only to be mysteriously launched into the air. They all yelled out “Yahoo hoo hooey!”  One of Weiss's glyphs sprang up below them.   
  
"Is this a private party or can anybody join?" Weiss said sword drawn, tail swishing, and a cocky smile on her face. Blake standing behind her rolled her eyes. “What?”

 

“Nevermind.” Blake chuckled.

 

“We could have handled these guys on our own,” Ruby said.

 

“But with as much style as us?” Weiss replied. “I think not.”

 

“She’s a Faunus now two?” Russell said getting up.

 

“Darn and I was going to let her be my honey too.” Cardin sneered.

 

Weiss snarked rolling her eyes. “Ohh how will I ever sleep at night knowing a chance like that passed me by.”

 

Blake remarked, “What are they even doing in Atlas?”

 

Her response was five different voices and two hands saying “Who cares?”

  
  


The meatheads stood up again and started charging the group weapons drawn. Only to get clotheslined by Nora and Yang.

 

“Ohh yaa!” Nora screamed. They did a fist bump and posed.

 

“We rule! Yang added.

 

“We had it covered.” Weiss, Jaune and Ruby groaned at once.

 

“Yaa but we got it done right!” they said with a high five.

 

Velvet and Ren just walked up and shrugged. 

 

“Surrender now before we get another unnecessary intervention!” Weiss declared.

 

“Ohh yaa by who?” Sky asked.

 

“How about us?” A new voice said as Coco, Fox, and Yatsuhashi strutted out of one of the stores.  Velvet waved at her team.

 

Ruby looked around “Wow everyone’s here except for…”

 

“Hello again!” The unexpected voice rang out. 

 

Shocked expressions flashed on everyone except for Nora who had a smirk. The others turned to see she took out her scroll and had the soundboard app open. Nora’s smile turned more sheepish. 

 

“What did they do anyway?” Yatsuhashi asked. 

 

Velvet answered pointing a Neo “They beat her to the brink of death.”

 

Coco lowered her shades “Not cool.”

 

“They were going to try again but I took the first blow for her,” Ruby admitted.

 

Illia interjected “Well second but that’s beside the point.”

 

“Either way we will handle it from here,” Coco said picking up Cardin. Yatsuhashi slung Russell and Dove over his shoulders and Fox grabbed Sky. “Velvet we might get a chance to leave tomorrow be ready.”

 

Velvet nodded and said “Right Coco.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went through a few versions. First, it was going to be RWBY versions of Bebop and Rocksteady.  
>  I was going to use Adom Taurus and have a Grimm parasite that turns him into a Minotaur. But as badly as I wanted to use him I hate him too much to bring him back from the dead.   
> Next, I went for the low hanging fruit, Grimm. That version I actually wrote but my beta said no. It would have had. Penny showing of her new wireless swords, Weiss summoning a giant Snow leopard and Jaune using his semblance to drain a volunteer to get the girl he's been helping back in fighting shape.
> 
> So, in the end, we're all stuck with these guys getting curb stomped.


	16. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind down from the fight, a trip to the pet shop and going back home.

“I don’t know about you guys.” Blake laughed “But I could get used to having Neo around.”

 

The mute smiled and gave a bow.

 

“Maybe if we get a bell on her.” Yang snarked.

 

Neo blinked a few times, smiled. Singed “Okay.” and then dragged Jaune into the pet shop.

 

“I was kidding!” Yang called out.

 

“Ooh a Pet shop,” Ruby said following them in. 

 

“Ruby no,” Yang said as she chased her, Weiss and Blake both shrugged and followed them. 

 

Inside Jaune and Neo were browsing the collars she had her hood down. Ruby was looking at a large grey macaw.

  
  


“Help I’ve been turned into a parrot.” She kept saying to the bird. 

 

“Seriously, you are such a child.” Weiss remarked, then she saw the display to her right “Puppies!”

 

“Looks like I’m going to have to get over my fear of dogs,” Blake said with a smile “We all make sacrifices I suppose.”

 

“This is the huntress who will lead us into battle with Salem.” Jaune chucked. Neo gave a silent laugh. 

 

“Okay, now I believe it.” Neo singed.  

 

“Ruby stop trying to freak out future customers and look,” Weiss said pointing at Neo. Ruby stopped her silliness and looked up. 

 

“You have cute ears,” Ruby said.

 

“She was hiding it with her semblance all this time.” Jaune answered for her “Whoever found her after her mom died told her to.”

 

“His name was Torchwick,” Ruby replied. “I saw him get eaten that day.”

 

“He wasn't nice but, he was all I had then.” Neo singed and then held up a pink and brown collar with a white bell.  

 

“You know I was kidding about the bell,” Yang said.

 

“No, you weren't,” Neo replied.

 

Yang rolled her eyes. “Still you don’t have to.”

 

Neo singed back "It's okay, if this will help you trust me it's a small price to pay."

 

“Let’s just agree to start over,” Ruby said, Yang just nodded.

 

“A fresh slate sounds good to me.” Neo singed. “But I actually like this collar.” She then rang the bell.   
  
"Besides it's Weiss's money," Jaune added.   
  
"Excuse me?" Weiss asked.   
  
"Well, you gave us some spending money." Jaune reminded her.   
  
"When Cardin hurt her he also stole her shoes. We took her to get new ones and she also decided she wanted the hoodie. Nora ended up buying a few things from that store and finally we got ice cream."   
  
"She is an alien." Neo singed.   
  
"Somehow I'm not surprised." Weiss Chuckled.

 

“Alien,” Jaune said. “That reminds me, don’t you have something else from your mother?”

 

Neo gave a sigh and signed “It’s not much but.” She pulled a necklace from a hidden pocket. It was silver heart-shaped and well worn.

 

“Neo, do you realize that’s a locket?” Ruby asked. The mute shook her head no. “There might be a picture inside. 

 

Jaune asked, “You really think so?” 

 

Ruby took a better look at the piece. “It looks like the lock is damaged, probably can’t open it without tools and a skilled Jeweler, like me.”

 

Neo’s ears perked up. “You would help me like that?”

 

“It’s the least I could do,” Ruby replied.

 

“Thank you.” Neo signed with tears of joy welling up in her eyes.

 

“Hey don’t drop it!” Jaune said. Neo nodded and put it back in it’s hiding spot.

  
  


On route to home, Weiss saw that the other three Faunus where walking next to each other and got a cold chill down her spine her tail went straight and poofed out.

 

“Something wrong Weiss?” Blake asked.

 

Weiss reluctantly replied “Just remembered a nightmare I had. Neo was in it, along with every Faunus I’ve ever seen. They all hated me for some reason, Illia was in a graveyard for every faunus that lost their lives due to my company. Sienna made me join the White Flange and kill Taurus. The masks where parasitic, and all of you were wearing them.”

 

“There’s a metaphor or two in there somewhere,” Ruby commented.

 

“How do you know about Sienna?” Blake asked.

 

“Ohh the relic of a webpage I stumbled on.” Weiss replied, “It hasn't been updated since the day after she  was made High Leader.”

 

Hearing that Blake turned ghost white. “No.” She whimpered. But it was too late everyone had there scroll out. “Ete to Ruby.”

 

“Make sure your safe search is cranked up to the max!” Weiss warned.

 

“I can’t believe what he used to talk me into,” Blake said with dread.

 

“He talked you _ out  _ of a few things also.” Yang snarked causing Blake to blush.

 

Everyone else was laughing at the ancient website but Neo was standing there still, she was staring intently at whatever she found. She tapped her bell and pointed to Weiss. She walked over, Neo was deep into the archives. “I’m assuming you scrolled away for dramatic effect.” Neo nodded and scrolled down, Weiss saw the photograph and gasped. “This can’t be.”

 

“What did she find?” Blake asked.

 

Weiss’s answer was a single word that held a lot of weight “Me!” 

 

Everyone did their best to gather around the short mute and her scroll. There they saw four-year-old Weiss along with her mother. They were at a picnic, Lady Schnee was even wearing a shirt with the original White Fang logo reading “Proud Faunus Lover.” Little Weiss was holding up her tail with a big smile on her face. 

 

“Unbelievable,” Blake muttered. 

 

“Send me that picture alright,” Weiss said Neo responded with a nod. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this before I knew Qrow and Oscar were party members and before Maria was introduced so I worked in an explanation for there absence.


	17. Home again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tying up the loose ends, pizza, karaoke and explaining the absence of Maria, Qrow, and Oscier.

A clock tower started to ring when they reached the front gates of Schnee manner.”Well, it's only just now the 24-hour mark from when I revealed my tail." Weiss remarked 

"We had a busy day."

Blake added, "Stopped a madman that wanted to buy an entire country.”

Nora chimed in “Fought idiots.”

Juan chucked“ did some normal teenager things. “

Yang spoke up “Humiliated Blake.” which earned her a punch to the arm.

 

"And added two more to the group." Ruby said "two of the last people I expected to be standing here."   
  
Penny looked like she was on the verge of tears of joy Neapolitan just gave a "that's fair" shrug.

 

“I’m never regretting finding out who I really am,” Weiss said tears of Joy forming. Both Ruby and Blake responded by holding out their arms and walking towards her. Neapolitan looked confused but everyone else was following suit. Weiss was in the center of a group hug within moments.  "Okay, we love each other." Weiss chuckled. And a large orange Maple leaf hit Jaune in the face.

 

Jaune muttered, “Why does that always happen?”

 

Neo facepalmed “We forgot about my old boots” She signed.

 

“So I missed all the fun?” Maria said as she walked up to the group. “I get sent to the Hospital for one weekend and all this nonsense goes on without me?” She looked at the two new additions “Isn't she supposed to be dead?”

 

_ Jenny  _ scoffed back “Who exactly are you?”

 

Maria laughed and said “The Grimm Reaper.” She then looked to Neo “So how about her?”

 

“She’s nobody important.” Ruby said defensively.

 

“Well if you’re defending her,” Maria said, “that’s good enough for me. You have great jugement after all.” 

 

“And you know what wounds need salt.” Ruby flinched as she responded.

 

“Don’t forget it.” Maria cackled.

 

Qrow and Oscar caught up to her. “Your fast for an old lady.”  The boy said between gaspes. Nora pounced on the lad as soon as he caught his breath.

 

“Velvet this is our child Oscar.” She proclaimed holding him up like he weighed nothing.

 

“Nora were not ready for kids.” Velvet giggled “Besides I’m leaving soon.”

 

“Okay you're right.” she said putting Oscar down next to Neo.

 

Neo looked at Oscar she smiled and signed “I’m not the weird one or the small one in this group? I should have joined you guys in the first place.”

 

Maria continued “Leaving a poor old woman in the Hospital with just these two to keep me company, have you no shame?

 

“What were we  supposed to do rewrite the Fan fichon?” Nora replied.

 

Penny and Neo looked confused  Ren stopped there mouth and hands and said“No, don’t ask.” After a moment he added “For all our sakes.”

  
  
  


As they came inside Penny lowered her hood and turned her hair back to it’s  normal red as she put her ribbon back on. “Feels good to be out of that persona.”

 

“I know how that feels.” Neo signed to her.

 

Weiss gave a happy sigh“How about we do Yang’s suggestion from before?”

 

“NO!” Yang shouted. 

 

“I ment pizza…” Weiss said with a giggle. “I’m not so cruel as to make you have a pedicure.”

 

Everyone who wasn't with them for the conversion  where confused at first but then Nora said “You dated her too Yang?”  Yang just nodded and then they were the only ones not confused.

 

“Anyway Pizza!” Ruby spoke up. “I want pepperoni.” 

 

“Extra cheese!” Yang cheered. 

 

Nora yelled out “BACON!” 

 

Velvet politely said“I would like Bell peppers.”

 

“I’d like avocado and shrimp.” Ren added.

 

“Do you guys think I’m made of money?” Weiss asked. They all just pointed at their surroundings “ Okay I’m made of money. I wonder if I could get a chicken alfredo pizza.”

 

“Brokoli.” Jaune squicked out.

 

“Your kidding.” Most of the group said and Ruby followed with “Ewww.”

 

Blake however was nervous she looked around “Okay no torches and pitchforks.”

 

“Anchovies?” Weiss said to which Blake gave a nervus nood.

 

“What about you Neo?” Ruby asked.

 

“I don’t know.” She singed “I never picked a topping before, something sweet?”

 

Ruby answered “All Right, what about you Penny?” 

 

Penny replied“I might be able to eat like a normal person but flavor is lost on me. I only care about carbs and sugar. I will just have a slice of  whatever is least popular.”

 

Up in Weiss’s room, they were waiting on the pizza. Ruby was working on Weisses new tail jewelry, with Neo’s locket waiting ready. Jaune and Neo where getting better acquainted. Penny having nothing better to do watched Ruby work everyone else was more or less where they were last night.

 

“I don’t think you give your Jewellery skills thier due credit.” Weiss said. As Ruby was almost done.

 

“If I did people would think that was what I wanted to do.” Ruby shrugged and got the last of the crystals into place. It resembled a silver spider web and had small Ice dust crystals dotted around it they were intended to line up in the center of the spots.

 

“That looks lovely Ruby.” Weiss said and Penny nooded.

 

“Okay time for the locket.” Ruby turned back around and tried to open the old locket. “This will be tricky.” The other teens all hovered behind her “That’s not helping.” 

 

She took a deep breath and got her tool into the lock. Carefully she turned it and opened the fragile thing. The locket came open revealing two young adult Faunus the father had brown hair and claws as well as a handlebar mustache. The mother was pink haired with large ears like Neo.

 

“Neo where are you from originally?” Ruby asked.

 

“A mountain village not far from here, why?” Jaune answered for her.

 

Ruby then asked“Weiss remember what your father said about his sister?”

 

“A pink haired cat…” Wiess blinked a few times “your not thinking.”

 

“She was part of a traveling performer group.”  They both said at once.

 

“What are the odds?” Weiss murmured.

 

“That you two would find each other in this fashion,” Penny answered “Quite low, but the odds that you two could be related are pretty good.”

 

Neo looked at Weiss “We’re family.” 

 

“The Pizzas are here!” Nora said as she went for them.

  
  


“No!” Weiss screaked “I thought you guys were my friends!”  The rest of them had wicked grins on there faces as they backed Weiss into the Connor “This is cruel and unusual.”

 

“Sorry Weiss it has to be this way,” Ruby said as she closed in.

 

“What’s the big deal?” Nora asked. “It’s your Karaoke machine.”

 

“The big deal is.” Weiss said as she took the microphone being forced into her hand “I already know the song you want me to sing.

 

Weiss had a cold chill down her spine when Ruby went into her closet without asking. Her fur stood straight up when she heard Nora suggest “Let’s pick songs for each other.” When the Neo being translated voice said: “The first one to refuse will have to be my stand-in.” She broke out into a cold sweat. And the color drained out of her when she heard Yang say “Well, Weiss should go first.”

 

Shure enough when she got to the machine she saw the song she was dreading accepting her fate she pressed to play the all too familiar opening notes started up. “Snow glows white on the mountain tonight. Not a footprint to be seen...”

 

“Really guys?” Velvet said as her turn came up. “Traveling in a fried-out combie   
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie…”

 

“Yaa saw this coming,” Blake said taking the stage. “You keep saying you got something for me. Something you call love but confess….”   
  


Jaune was up he looked at the song that was picked for him. “Okay, that’s just mean.” The music started to play. “We're no strangers to love you know the rules and so do I…”

  
  


Yang took a good hard look at what she was looking at. There was no way she could sing that. That song being on a Karaoke machine was a crime she couldn't. Yang just took the punishment.

 

Yang begrudgingly said, “If it is what I think it is, you’re under arrest.”  Neo responded by taking her by the left arm and pulling her to the machine. Which was turned so Yang would be out of the spotlight? “Okay Neo this is not The sound of Silence.”

 

Neo stuck her tongue out and signed “You really think so little of me Fire Punch?”  Before she started to warm up lip syncing. Loud music came out of the speakers “Welcome to the jungle we've got fun and games. We got everything you want honey, we know the names…”

 

The group was winding down when Neo realized something “I don’t have anything to sleep in.”

 

Penny came to the rescue “I think I got just the thing.” she walked to where they had the stuff they bought for the time being and took out a pink and white kitty kigurumi. 

 

“You actually bought that?” Yang asked with a laugh.

 

“No, obviously she stole it.” Neo singed back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I started writing this before I knew that Qrow and Oscar were party members, and before Maria was introduced so I tried to work in an explanation for where they have been.


	18. Moving forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the week scene the rest of the story Weiss prepares to continue saving the world with Ruby.

“In the week since Weiss Schnee regrew her tail Human Fanunus relationships have taken a drastic upturn along with both faith and stock in the Schnee Dust Company.” The new Deer Faunus anchorwoman said.

 

“But it’s not all good news.” The older anchorman said “Her sister’s forceful ear regrowth has to lead to her being temporally discharged from the military. Also, people seem to distrust Faunus who hide their features more...”

 

Weiss turned off the small TV in what was now her home office. It’d been a week and she was still all the news could talk about. Except for the occasional gossip story trying to figure out  _ Jenny _ and/or Neapolitan.  And speaking of her new long-lost relative, it was strange having her around. The group had to get used to her all over again after her powers began to work once more. But she was legitimately turning over a new leaf. The only harm she had done was a prank that crossed the line and was Nora's idea in the first place.

 

“Another press conference.” Weiss said “What more do these vampires want from me?

 

“Should be the last one you have to deal with for a while.” Blake came in with some tea and sushi. “Winter is looking after the company starting today.”

 

“I wouldn't have been so public about coming out if I knew about that stupid law,” Weiss said she was tired, if her hair wasn't already white she thought it would be graying already.

 

“Speaking of law,” Blake said. 

 

As if on cue Neo appeared in the room making a pose “Ta-da!” and fan fair played on her soundboard app. Jaune walked if after her as she took a set.

 

“Hey, cuz’.” Weiss chuckled. “I guess the legal team sorted through how to help you out.”

 

Neo nodded and took Jaune's hand. Jaune took a deep breath and said: “Winter should be in to break the news soon.”

 

It was a tense two minutes,  one thing that Weiss didn’t like about her new self was that she was a nervous eater now, epically with sushi.

 

Winter came in silently. Weiss still felt a twinge of guilt when she saw how badly her sister was adjusting to her new ears. Winter gave a nod to everyone. She took a seat next to the desk. 

 

“Okay Neo.” The mute looked up. “Well, Torchwick did you one favor, even if it was unintentional. It seems there is no solid evidence on you. Only the testimony from somebody you wronged seriously can get you arrested.”

 

Neo’s ears dropped down and her eyes turned white as they closed “Attempted murder.” She signed, she then followed with “flower smile.” Obviously a nickname she uses for somebody. 

 

“Who’s that?” Winter asked.

 

“It’s Ruby,” Jaune said grimly.  “You tried to kill Ruby?”

 

“It was the night of the fall.” She signed back.

 

“We agreed to a fresh slate.” Blake reminded them.

 

“Well if I wanted to go the scumbag route,” Winter spoke up. “I think temporary insanity might actually work if she presses charges.”

 

“She doesn't have to know, ” Blake said. But they all glared at her.

 

“I’m telling her book cat.” Neo singed ears coming back up. “You all trust her with your lives and more. I will put my future in her hands.”  She stood up and kissed Jaune. “Wish me luck.”

 

“Good luck,” Jaune said. 

 

Neo walked out into the lounge room where she found Nora third wheeling on Ruby and Penny playing a fighting game. Ruby was playing a speedy character and Penny was soundly beating her with the hardest character in the game. Nora was eating cookies loudly. She was taking Velvet not being here hard. Neo rang her bell a few times.

 

“Ohh Neo, didn’t hear you come in,” Ruby said, “Here to keep Pancake lighting busy?” Ruby giggled at what the mute had dubbed Nora.”

 

“Can I have a word with you?” Neo signed “Alone.” 

 

“What’s wrong?” Ruby said as her character was defeated.

  
  


Nora and Penny got up leaving Ruby and the mute alone. Neo started to explain what Winter said. “And I could still go to jail if my one account of attempted murder presses charges.”

 

Ruby’s silver eyes looked dull as what Neo was saying took hold of her. “Well, you were an awful person, you were involved with the fall… and you teamed up with Cinder.” Neo started to cry and Ruby’s tone did a 180 from cruel to concern “Ohh man I thought I was setting up a great bait and switch.”

 

Neo slapped the silver eyed girl. “I completely deserved that,” Ruby said in response. “I Ruby Rose, officially and solemnly drop the charges against you.” 

 

Neo hugged her. “You’re welcome Ruby said.”

  
  


“Thank you all for coming out here,” Weiss said to the gathered reporters she was seeing more Faunus among them, where more being hired? Or was she just getting better at picking them out? “Third time this week,” she added under her breath

 

“Miss Schnee?” one girl with tiger ears asked, “When is the company expanding into Menagerie?” 

 

“I’ve set the groundwork.” Weiss answered, “I don’t want to close down family-run shops so I’m hoping to find one willing to let us lend a hand.”

 

“Miss Schnee, what about you and the princess?”  Another asked.

 

“Blake Belladonna is my teammate.” She answered blushing her tail perking up. These vultures could tell she was withholding information. Come to think of it one might have actually been a vulture. “Next question.”

 

“What about the strange girl seen in your entourage?” the bald man with tail feathers asked.

 

“She’s a family member,” Weiss answered. “I may be the most qualified person to handle the company despite my age, but I am also a huntress, I intend to leave soon. At this time I would like to turn over this press conference as well as the company to my sister.”

 

Winter walked up to the podium. “Thank you all. Weiss will be missed as she continues on with her team…”

 

Weiss slinked away as Winter took her place. She was relieved the weight was off her shoulders. She walked inside to her teammates.

 

“Didn’t want to tell them I was your girlfriend?” Blake teased.

 

“They would eat us alive if I did  right now.” Weiss said “If they find out you used to be in the White Fang forget it, we're talking full on hyenas on a carcass. So many questions will be slung at us we won’t know up from down.”

  
  


“All right you know best,” Blake said before kissing her.

 

“Ready to get the show on the road?” Ruby asked.

 

Weiss just smiled and said, “Can’t wait, Cinder won’t know what hit her.”

“Still planning on visiting Menagerie?” Blake asked.

 

“After we save the world,” Weiss said with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
